Shared Spaces

Diverse voices exploring the Olmsteds' living legacy.
Personal Reflections

Retracing Olmsted’s Footsteps

Olmsted Network President & CEO Dede Petri recounts the trip of a lifetime, retracing Frederick Law Olmsted's footsteps in England with John Phibbs, Gilly Kitching and 12 intrepid Olmsted pilgrims. Olmsted’s first book and delightful travelogue, Walks and Talks of an American Farmer in England, provides the backdrop for these observations.
View Details
Explore Popular Categories

Recent News & Articles

Filter By
Conservation & Advocacy

Olmsted parks and places adapt in the face of climate change

As landscapes contend with the realities of climate change, the Olmsted Network and our coalition of partners embrace Olmsted’s nature-based solutions.
Field Notes

A Long History for a Short Bridge 

After 25 years of community advocacy, the beloved Carlton Street Footbridge has reopened to visitors of Boston's Emerald Necklace.
Field Notes

Downing Park Conservancy Sports New Logo

Downing Park Conservancy aims to attached new park supporters with recent rebrand.
Field Notes

Buffalo’s South Park Arboretum Awarded Level 1 Accreditation 

Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy recently received recognition by ArbNet and Morton Register for the South Park Arboretum.
Conferences & Events

Recap: The Olmsteds in Wisconsin 

The Olmsted Network recently returned from our annual conference in Milwaukee, WI. Highlights included tours of Milwaukee’s Olmsted parks, a visit to an exceptional residential property in Lake Geneva, as well as an awards dinner honoring our 2023 award winners.
Personal Reflections

Memories of Washington Park  

Kathy Smith recalls growing up near Washington Park in Milwaukee, WI, and her trip back to revisit this special place.
Field Notes

Trinity College Secures Arboretum Status

The Trinity College Arboretum was established during Olmsted 200 and the institution’s own bicentennial year.
Field Notes

Olmsted Parks Conservancy and KSU bring goats to Iroquois Park

Olmsted Parks Conservancy has partnered with Kentucky State University to rid Iroquois Park of invasive plants.
Field Notes

Main Drive Restoration: Looking to the Past for Planting Fields’ Future

Planting Fields Foundation is continuing the restoration of our Olmsted-designed landscape, including planting 110 oak trees.

Field Notes

40 Mile Loop continues to expand 40 years after master plan

2023 is the 40th anniversary of Portland, Oregon’s 40 Mile Loop Master Plan, a plan rooted in the City’s Olmsted legacy. John Charles Olmsted’s 1903 report and parks plan submitted to Portland’s Mayor and Park Board recommended a system of parks connected by roughly 40 miles of parkways and tree-lined boulevards. For nearly 50 years, […]

Read More

Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy Employs Augmented Reality

Earlier this summer, the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy (Project No. 00700) launched the Olmsted App 2.0, an update to their original mobile app that launched in 2018. The app features updated wayfinding capability, an event calendar, and the latest news. The app also includes cutting-edge technology and imaginative 3D models, through augmented reality (AR), to […]

Read More

Biltmore’s Bass Pond: Re-Creating the Missing Island

Did you know Biltmore’s Bass Pond originally had two islands within it? One of the islands (or “islets,” as landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted referred to them) mysteriously disappeared over the years. However, our horticulture team recently worked to re-create this feature as part of our mission to preserve the estate in Asheville, North Carolina. […]

Read More

Personal Reflections

This blog series explores people's personal connections to the Olmsted family and their beloved landscapes.

Olmsted & Friends Interviews

Olmsted and Friends: Meet Philip Loughlin

Meet Phillip Loughlin, a member of our Olmsted 200 Honorary Committee!
Personal Reflections

Meeting Beauty

Jane Alexander recalls living at 99 Warren Street, the home of the great landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Fairsted is now a National Historic Site.
Olmsted & Friends Interviews

Olmsted and Friends: Meet Betsy Shure Gross 

Meet Betsy Shure Gross, a member of our Olmsted 200 Honorary Committee!

Newsletter Sign Up

Join our mailing list to receive Olmsted Insider, a monthly e-newsletter.