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The Olmsted Network’s 2024 Annual Conference will focus on treasured landscapes in the Hudson Valley. Please join us in New York on September 14 and/or September 15 as we explore Downing Park in Newburgh and Vassar College in Poughkeepsie.  

Find the full schedule with all of our panels and speakers here.

Conference ticket options:  
2 Day Ticket ($350)  
Saturday Only Ticket ($200)  
Sunday Only Ticket ($200)  

No refunds after August 15.

Additional information on LA CES credits, local scholarships, partner scholarships, student scholarships, suggested hotels and more is available at the bottom of this page.


Saturday, September 14: Conference Day 1 
Calvary Presbyterian Church in Newburgh, NY 
9 am to 6 pm ET  

Keynote
Francis Kowsky

Keynote
Sara Zewde

Panel Discussion | Roads to Renewal
Marjorie Greville, Lucy Lawliss, Morgan Monaco and Duane Martinez

Community Conversation & Working Lunch 
Karen Eberle-McCarthy, Kathy Lawrence and Mary McTamaney

Panel Discussion | Activating Parks for all People
Fenella Heckscher, Pam Breeman, Virginia Kasinki, Brad Taylor and Rosamond Fletcher

On the first day of our conference, we’ll focus on Newburgh, NY, and Downing Park, the last great work of Frederick Law Olmsted, Calvert Vaux and their sons. This beautiful park was created in 1897 as a memorial to landscape designer and Newburgh resident Andrew Jackson Downing.  

Downing Park is like a miniature Central Park, but it has seen better days. A thoughtful master plan was released in the early 1990s. Since then, Downing Park Conservancy, formerly known as the Downing Park Planning Committee, has been working hard to build membership and resources. Its efforts are being bolstered by the Garden Club of Orange and Dutchess Counties and others interested in renewing this great green space in the heart of the city. Part of their challenge is adapting the great space to modern needs, while retaining landscape integrity and design.    

During this first conference day, we’ll examine how park preservation can be a key to urban renewal. The welcome session will include an introduction and keynote speeches by scholar and author Frank Kowsky and landscape architect Sara Zewde. We’ll highlight creative programming ideas from other Olmsted parks, as well as ways communities can connect to the public through nature and history. We’ll also tour Downing Park and see other historic structures in Newburgh designed by Vaux and Downing.  

Attendees are encouraged to purchase a separate ticket for our Pride of the Hudson Dinner Cruise at the end of the night.  

This day counts for 6 LA CES credit hours.


Sunday, September 15: Conference Day 2 
Taylor Hall at Vassar in Poughkeepsie, NY 
8:30 am to 5:30 pm ET 

Keynote
Yvonne Elet

Panel Discussion | Preservation and Mental Health: Adapting Olmsted Designs to Modern Needs 
Steve Livengood, Paris Roselli, Robert Kirkbride, Jennifer L. Thomas and Yvonne Laube

Panel Discussion | Advancing Health, Inclusivity and Equity in the Built Environment 
Vassar President Elizabeth Bradley, Susan Masino, Dr. Harold “Hank” Schwartz and Dr. Howard Frumkin

On our second day, we’ll move to another Olmsted-rich city— Poughkeepsie, NY.  We will be welcomed at Vassar College, where the Olmsted firm’s recommendations for Vassar, offered at three different points during the college’s history, are visible on the campus grounds today. We’ll explore the history of this great campus and examine the work of Olmsted, Vaux, Matthew Vassar and Frederick Withers, whose work we’ll have seen in Newburgh.  

During this conference day, we’ll examine how parks can become part of the local health infrastructure to advance mental and physical well-being. We’ll start our day with breakfast on the campus green. Lecture sessions will include an introduction by President Elizabeth Bradley, a keynote from Professor Yvonne Elet and panel discussion about the importance of parks as vital public health infrastructure. The day will end with a special exhibit in the college museum and a choice of afternoon tours.  

Attendees are encouraged to purchase a separate ticket for our 2024 Awards Dinner at the historic Alumnae House. 

This day counts for 6 LA CES credit hours.


LA CES:

The Olmsted Network is an LA CES-approved provider and will offer up to 14 hours of credit to those participating in the conference. Attendees will be responsible for completing a learning outcomes survey in order to receive credit and a certificate. 


Local Scholarships:

  • The Olmsted Network strives to make our educational opportunities accessible to the communities we work in. To encourage local participation, we are offering…

    A discount to all local residents. Please email us at info@olmsted.org to request the code. Please include your address in the email.

    A handful of steeply discounted conference tickets to individuals who live in the Hudson Valley and request financial assistance. Please complete this form to apply. 

Partner Scholarships:

  • The Olmsted Network strives to make our educational opportunities accessible to all of our partners. A handful of discounted conference tickets are available to individuals of an Olmsted Network partner organization. Please complete this form to apply. 

Student Tickets:

  • The Olmsted Network strives to make our educational opportunities accessible to the next generation of park advocates. A handful of discounted conference tickets are available to students. Please complete this form to apply.

Travel Tips:  

  • Please book a room at Holiday Inn Poughkeepsie by the extended deadline of August 27. Attendees are encouraged to stay at our recommended hotel, as the bus will pick up and drop off from this location.
  • Albany International and the NYC metropolitan airports are only a couple of hours away by car or rail. We recommend looking into the Hudson Line of the Metro-North Railroad.
  • Upon registration, attendees will be asked to provide contact information (name, email, phone, address) and meal preference(s) for each ticket. We will not share your personal information, but by completing registration, you consent to receive occasional emails from us.