In early March, the Olmsted Network board and staff gathered in New York for four days of park tours, partner meetings, staff bonding, and strategic planning in the city where Frederick Law Olmsted’s vision for American landscape architecture first took shape. As the only national organization dedicated to Olmsted’s legacy of landscapes and democratic values, visits like these allow us to learn directly from our partners, who steward some of the country’s most significant historic green spaces.
The visit started on March 3 when Victoria Vanhuss, Sr. Director of Programs and Partnerships, met with long-time partner Fort Greene Park Conservancy in Brooklyn, NY.
The following day, Vanhuss met with a prospective Brooklyn partner, helping think through advocacy strategy for a developing park issue, before crossing the East River to meet up with the rest of the team. While Sue Breitkopf, President, took a meeting with Eric Landau of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation, other staff connected with author and historian Sara Cedar Miller, a former Olmsted Network board member who retired from Central Park Conservancy after 40 years in 2024. Together, they explored everything from Bethesda Terrace and the Ramble to the Harlem Meer. One stop of special interest was a rustic wooden shelter in the Ramble, dating all the way to Olmsted and Vaux’s initial work in the park!
The next day, the team convened for a morning staff retreat. This was the first time the full staff had met in person after Declan Battles, Communications Manager, joined earlier this year. While Breitkopf met with Olmsted Network supporters, staff connected with current partners, including Jana La Sorta and Craig Peden of Fort Tryon Park Conservancy, who offered us a tour of the office and grounds. Even in the misty late-winter weather, landmarks such as Billings Arcade and Linden Terrace offered stunning views of the Hudson, the Bronx, and upper Manhattan.
Spending time in these landscapes was also a reminder of how powerfully Olmsted’s design philosophy continues to shape public life. Parks like Central Park, Morningside Park, and Fort Tryon Park demonstrate the enduring value of thoughtfully designed green space—places where nature, community, and civic life intersect. For the Olmsted Network, visiting these sites is not only an opportunity to appreciate their beauty, but a chance to learn from the people working every day to care for them and ensure they remain vibrant public resources.
On March 6, Olmsted Network board, strategic planning committee, and staff members gathered at the Central Park Conservancy’s offices for the trip’s main event—an all-day visioning session facilitated by Green Jay Strategies. The session explored how the Olmsted Network can expand its national advocacy efforts and strengthen the friends groups and conservancies caring for historic parks across the country. It created space for bold ideas and creative solutions to the issues facing historic landscapes nationwide, and we came away feeling energized about the work ahead. The day wrapped with a brisk tour of Morningside Park, led by Brigham Keehner of Friends of Morningside Park, and a festive dinner in the Upper West Side.
By the end of the trip, we had walked over 30 miles, explored some of New York’s finest Olmsted landscapes, strengthened relationships with partners and supporters, and taken exciting first steps toward shaping a strategic plan that will guide the Network into its next chapter.
Thank you to all of our New York partners and friends for welcoming, guiding, and hosting us throughout the week. We’re grateful for the chance to collaborate on our shared commitment to great parks and public spaces. The ideas and conversations sparked during our time in New York will help inform the Olmsted Network’s upcoming strategic plan and our continued work to support Olmsted landscapes—and the communities they serve—nationwide.
