From September 23–25, 2026, the Olmsted Network brought together park partners from 87 organizations—representing 53 cities and 20 states (plus Washington, DC, and Canada)—for our Annual Conference in Portland, OR. Across three days of learning throughout the city’s abundant green spaces, participants engaged in energetic and meaningful conversations about resilient public landscapes.
Wednesday: Elk Rock Salon & Welcome Reception
Olmsted Salon: Private Designs in the Pacific Northwest, hosted at Elk Rock Garden. 
Olmsted Salon: Private Designs in the Pacific Northwest, hosted at Elk Rock Garden. 
Olmsted Network staff at Elk Rock Garden. 
Elk Rock Garden, Portland, OR. 
Olmsted Salon: Private Designs in the Pacific Northwest, hosted at Elk Rock Garden.
Ahead of the conference, we gathered for a separately ticketed luncheon at Elk Rock Garden—one of the most beloved Olmsted-influenced landscapes in the Pacific Northwest. Open to park lovers, realtors, homeowners, and historians alike, Olmsted Salon: Private Designs in the Pacific Northwest celebrated the work of the Olmsted firm and its often-overlooked residential designs in the area.
That evening, the conference formally opened with a welcome reception at Hoyt Arboretum’s Stevens Pavilion in Washington Park. Guests enjoyed light bites and mocktails as they mingled and began building relationships with peers across the country and beyond—connections that would only strengthen over the coming days.
Thursday: Shaping the Future of Public Parks
After a welcome by Jonathan Nicholas, a leader of the Portland Parks Alliance, Thursday’s programming kicked off with our 2026 keynote presentation—Parks as Civic Infrastructure: Connecting Communities in a Changing World—by Dr. Vivek Shandas of Portland State University. Dr. Shandas examined the ways parks can help communities become healthier, more connected, and more resilient, serving to set the scene for subsequent panels and sessions.
From there, attendees gained valuable insights from our first panel. Moderated by Dr. C.N.E. Corbin of Portland State University and featuring speakers like Jayne Miller of PROS Consulting and Justin Cutler of LeaderGov, Building Political Will for Parks: Funding the Public Parks We Want explored how cities define their vision for public parks, build political will around that vision, address historic inequities, and develop sustainable funding strategies that support more just outcomes for today’s communities and future generations. Watch the session here.
Later that afternoon, attendees enjoyed small-group conversations focused on one of ten topics shaping the future of public parks; a presentation on Terwilliger Parkway; and guided tours of Laurelhurst Park and Mount Tabor Park. The day ended with a special History Happy Hour hosted by Sellwood Community House.
Friday: The Olmsted Legacy in the Pacific Northwest
Laurie Matthews, FASLA, presents on why Olmsted matters today. 
Jana La Sorte of Fort Tryon Park Conservancy speaks during “The Long Game: How Parks are Built, Sustained, and Evolving Over Time.” 
Suzanne Bishop of Portland Parks Alliance in conversation with City Administrator Raymond C. Lee 
Earl Jones speaks during “Building Political Will for Parks: Funding the Public Parks We Want.” 
Mike Houck gives a flash presentation on the Olmsted influence in Portland (with rubber duck in the front row). 
The rubber duck used during the flash presentations on Day 2 of the conference.
The final day of the conference kicked off with flash presentations from five PNW-area leaders and historians. They were challenged to cover a century of history—from John Charles Olmsted’s visionary 1903 Portland plan to the continuation of the Olmsted vision through contemporary projects like the 40 Mile Loop—in just seven minutes each. The result was one of the conference’s most memorable sessions, with staff members squeaking a rubber duck whenever a speaker went over time and the crowd erupting in laughter. Watch the recording here.
The day continued with four, concurrent “Topic Table” lunch sessions (watch one of the sessions: Early Days of a Friends Group), a case study presentation from Portland Parks Foundation, and a final panel (recording here) exploring different disciplines work together to navigate the realities of a park’s lifecycle while adapting to changing needs and preserving what makes it significant.
Closing out the conference, attendees split into groups to visit a diverse array of Portland’s most exciting greenspaces and initiatives, from the nearby South Park Blocks to Forest Park, Peninsula Park, and the Albina Neighborhood. Across these sites, we saw not just scenic vistas and pretty parks but spaces that are being carefully stewarded and even reimagined—testaments to the power of public space to bring people together.
Awards Dinner:
On Friday night we gathered at the Oregon Historical Society for a dinner and ceremony honoring the Olmsted Network’s 2026 Award Winners—a night filled with cheers, gratitude, and the occasional bird call from awardee Mike Houck. From lifelong leaders in volunteerism and advocacy to organizations that continue to push for public lands and expand green horizons for marginalized communities, this year’s class of awardees display a true cross-section of Olmsted stewardship. Watch the recording here.
2026 Awardees:
Caroline Loughlin Volunteer Service Award—Victoria Post Ranney (Chicago, IL)
Olmsted Stewardship Award—Donald Harris (Seattle, WA), Mike Houck (Portland, OR), and Earl Jones (Louisville, KY)
President’s Awards —Airport2Park & Great Park Coalition (Santa Monica, CA), People of Color Outdoors (Portland, OR), and Weequahic Park Association (Newark, NJ)
Certificates of Appreciation—Portland Parks Alliance (Portland, OR) and William J. Hawkins, III (Portland, OR)
Lessons Learned & Looking Ahead:
Portland’s parks are a living, growing success story. While John Charles Olmsted’s park plan was left partially unrealized in his own time, recent decades have seen stewards and advocates fulfill and even expand his vision of interconnected green spaces for the greater Portland region. Though challenges still remain, community groups and organizations like the Portland Parks Alliance continue to make progress with civic leaders on addressing issues of funding and maintenance.
The names and locations may change, but countless parks and public spaces across the country are feeling the same pressures: underfunding, deferred maintenance, staffing shortages, and encroachment. This year’s conference convened hundreds of park stewards, landscape historians, and design professionals to tackle the threats of today and plan for the resilient landscapes of tomorrow, and they came away feeling energized. From passionate dialogues to toasts to Olmsted champions for a lifetime of service, these three days cemented the power of connection in bringing Olmsted’s egalitarian principles to the forefront for today’s problem-solvers.
We are grateful to all who joined us in Portland this month, and we can’t wait to keep these conversations growing strong at our 2027 Annual Conference, which will happen in Atlanta, GA, next October!
Find photos in our 2026 Annual Conference album on Flickr!
