The board of aldermen may prohibit and prevent all encroachments into and upon sidewalks, streets, avenues, alleys and other public places of the city, and may provide for the removal of obstructions from the sidewalks, curbstones, gutters and crosswalks, at the expense of the owners or occupants of the ground fronting thereon, or at the expense of the person causing the same; they may also regulate the planting of shade trees, erecting of awnings, hitching posts, lamp posts, awning posts, telephone, telegraph and electric light poles, and making of excavations through and under the sidewalks or in any public street, avenue, alley or other public place within the city. They may prevent and punish for all horseracing, or other racing, fast riding or driving or training in the streets, highways, avenues, alleys, or over bridges or through tunnels in the city, and all games, practices or amusements therein likely to result in damage to any person or property, and to regulate, prevent and punish for the riding, driving, leading, standing, hitching or passing of horses, mules, oxen or other teams or stock or animals or any vehicle over or upon or across or along any sidewalk, street, avenue or alley of the city.