Project Partners Announced
Community Planning and Development is partnering with Superbloom Studios to lead the Denver Resilient Landscape project. The team will also include Biohabitats, Clarion Associates, Community Language Cooperative, Denver Botanic Gardens, and Hydrosystems KDI. This experienced team provides a wealth of knowledge on Colorado native and adaptive landscapes, best practices for landscape design and irrigation, code writing, community engagement, and more.
Learn more about the team
In partnership with other city agencies, Denver Community Planning and Development (CPD) is working on potential updates to landscape requirements to increase and promote a more climate resilient city. Climate resilient landscapes are designed to use less water, can survive during times of drought, help to reduce heat in the city, and support pollinators, among many other benefits. This process will consider potential amendments to the Denver Zoning Code, along with all other applicable codes, rules, regulations and policies with the intent of creating clear guidance for new development projects and also come into compliance with a new state law. City Councilmember Paul Kashmann is sponsoring the project in partnership with CPD.
The project will focus on landscaping requirements for all new development and some redevelopment projects only. Existing landscaping around homes or businesses will not be affected by any potential new requirements. The project team will engage the public, development community, industry professionals, and many others to ensure any new landscape requirements meet the goals and vision of the community.
This project is collaboratively funded with support from the Colorado Water Plan grant, Community Planning and Development, Denver Parks and Recreation, and the Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency and the Climate Protection Fund.
Background
Many developments in Denver use non-functional turf, defined as ornamental grass in an area that does not get public use. Nonfunctional turfgrass uses a lot of water and does not serve a recreation or civic purpose. This type of turf can be found in areas along roadways, in medians and in parking lots. Instead of nonfunctional turf in new development and some redevelopment, the city may require a mix of native grasses, shrubs and trees or other landscape design that focus on species that are successful in Denver's climate.
In 2024, the State of Colorado passed a bill (SB 24-005) that prohibits new non-functional turf and artificial turf in commercial, industrial, and institutional development in Colorado. This project will address the requirements of this bill and go beyond to look at the future of all landscape to ensure it meets the vision of the Denver community.
Download a project overview(PDF, 702KB)
What is the Denver Resilient Landscape project?
An update to landscape requirements in the Denver Zoning Code and other citywide codes, rules, regulations and policies to promote more climate resilient landscapes and prohibit new non-functional turfgrass.
What is the timeline for this project?
We expect the process to take about a year, with final review and approval by City Council in 2026.
What is a ‘climate resilient landscape’?
Plants and surrounding landscaping material designed to survive periods of drought, extreme heat, and cloud burst rain events that we get in Denver. The goal is that the landscape can survive on less water and will still provide the benefits of a healthy landscape, such as cooling the area, providing cleaner air, promoting biodiversity and supporting pollinators, providing water quality and helping to address stormwater.
What is non-functional turf?
Cool-season, bluegrass turf that requires a lot of water to maintain its appearance. Bluegrass turf is considered non-functional when planted in areas that do not serve a recreation or civic function, such as grass on a median, along a roadway, or around a parking lot. Functional grass covers parks, playing fields and lawns used for events.
Read more about the city’s current turfgrass policy for parks and recreation
Why is Denver banning non-functional turf?
The State of Colorado passed a bill in 2024 that prohibits new non-functional turf throughout the state. SB 24-005 requires cities to update their codes and enact this requirement by January 2026. In addition, updating landscape requirements within the city to promote water-wise landscape, reduce turfgrass, support pollinators, and increase urban tree canopy are all goals identified as community priorities in the city’s adopted plans, including Denver’s Comprehensive Plan 2040, Blueprint Denver, Denver’s Game Plan for a Healthy City, Denver One Water, Denver Moves Everyone, and the Urban Forest Strategic Plan.
Where would new landscape rules apply?
Any new landscape requirements would apply to all new development, including what will be within the right of way and on private property. This includes all use types, including industrial, commercial and residential. This could potentially also apply to some re-development projects. What that threshold might look like is one of the questions the process will consider.
Does this mean I will have to change my lawn?
No. Landscape rules that are under consideration would apply to new development and some redevelopment sites only. Denver residents who are interested in changing their landscape will have access to project resources, including a planned Programs & Incentives report, but this will not be a requirement for existing property.
Are there open spaces where I can see native plants in Denver?
Yes! Denver Parks and Recreation has several sites where you can see a mix of native species in Denver. Check out It’s in Denver’s Nature for more information.
Will this affect city-owned land like parks and medians?
This will impact medians as they are considered ‘non-functional’ spaces that will no longer be allowed to have new turfgrass. This will not impact parks as parks are a ‘functional’ space that may benefit from having turfgrass for fields and community purposes.
Will this project require more landscape in areas such as downtown with limited space?
This process will involve evaluating and balancing differing needs across the city. That is a balance we will need to evaluate through this process. Any new or adjusted regulations that come out of the process may not look the same across the city. What landscape looks like downtown is very different from what it looks like in more suburban areas, so context-sensitive requirements will be important.
How can you ensure this doesn’t add more time to the permit review process?
Currently, landscape-related requirements live in 11 different buckets throughout the city. This project will streamline requirements into one central location to improve efficiency and likely save time. In addition, this project will also focus on making rules easier to understand and apply.
How will you implement and enforce these new requirements?
One of the project tasks is to create an implementation plan for successful review, inspection and enforcement for all new sites.