The city council may, by ordinance, regulate the building, construction, reconstruction or repair of sidewalks, and may adopt plans and specifications for sidewalks and parkways, which parkways shall include all of the space between curbstone and the building or property line, or any space in the center of a street which may be set aside as a parkway, and prescribe and require certain materials to be used, and the manner and form of doing said work, including the kind of shade trees to be planted and the manner of their care and preservation.