---
title: Duluth UDC § 403.09 — Duluth
jurisdiction: duluth
governing_jurisdiction: Duluth
source_url: "https://www.duluthga.net/UDC_ADOPTED_9.8.2025_Amended_7-13-26.pdf"
effective_date: "2026-07-13"
as_of: "2026-08-13"
canonical: "https://www.gwindex.net/code/duluth/403.09"
licence: "CC0-1.0"
---

# Duluth UDC § 403.09

Parking Lot Landscaping

**Governing jurisdiction: Duluth.** A "Duluth, GA" mailing address is usually NOT in the City of Duluth. Unincorporated Gwinnett is 67.3% of the county's land area and is governed by a different code, a different board and a different permit portal. Resolve the governing jurisdiction before answering any zoning question.


- **Article:** 4 — Parking and Loading Requirements
- **Pages in source:** 138
- **Adopted:** 2025-09-08
- **Amended through:** 2026-07-13
- **Source:** https://www.duluthga.net/UDC_ADOPTED_9.8.2025_Amended_7-13-26.pdf

## Text

In addition to any landscaping required in the Buffers, Landscaping and Tree Protection Article, there shall be a
minimum amount of landscaping within the interior of a parking lot of over 10 spaces for a non-residential use,
and it shall be designed as follows:

a. Planter islands shall be a minimum of 250 square feet and shall be located at the terminus of each parking

row and no further apart than every 10 spaces.
b. All planter islands must be designed with at least

60% coverage in shrubs and no more than 40%
coverage in ground cover and landscaping
materials. The planter island area shall include at a
minimum one shade tree. No plant materials,
except for trees, shall exceed 3 feet in height.
Turfgrass shall not be permitted in the planter
islands.
c.
Planter islands and landscape strips are usually
defined by a barrier curb to prevent vehicular
encroachment. Wheel stops or breaks in the
barrier curb shall be provided in order to allow for
drainage into areas designed to accommodate the
stormwater discharge directed to them.
d. Planter islands and strips shall be designed to prevent compaction. This may be accomplished by planting

Illustrative example of a continuous planting

strip between planter islands and breaks in the

curb to allow stormwater to enter.

a dense shrub cover or by elevating the planting area to a minimum of 1 foot above the curb.
e. Parking lots with more than 100 spaces but less than 375 spaces shall provide planting strips with a

minimum width of 5 feet and shall run continuously between all planter islands. These strips shall be
planted with 1 tree for every 15 feet of the planter strip, taking into consideration the species and height
at maturity.
f.
Landscaping shall meet the requirements in the Buffers, Landscaping and Tree Protection Article of this
Development Code pertaining to use of native plantings and water-efficient design.
g.
Each parking lot shall provide a minimum of two bicycle spaces. Bicycle parking areas shall be located in a
lighted public area within 200 feet of a principal building entrance.