Shared Spaces
Diverse voices exploring the Olmsteds' living legacy.
Olmsted & Friends Interviews
Olmsted & Friends: Meet Christian Zimmerman
Over the course of 35 years, Christian Zimmerman oversaw the restoration of Olmsted’s Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY.
Field Notes
The Olmsted Network on the Move
Site visits, strategy sessions, and partner gatherings across the country reflect our commitment to growing a strong, visible, and connected national network.
Organizational News
Olmsted Network Embarks on 2026 Strategic Planning Initiative
As the Olmsted Network enters its next chapter, we have a rare opportunity to shape strategic direction that both honors our legacy and responds boldly to the needs of today’s public landscapes.
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Recent News & Articles
Landscape Architecture & Design
U.S. Capitol Historical Society Showcases Olmsted Contributions
Frederick Law Olmsted was landscape architect for the US Capitol Grounds. To mark the bicentennial, the USCHS is offering a special Olmsted calendar and Olmsted ornament.
Personal Reflections
It Ain’t All Rainbows and Unicorns: Working Inside an Olmsted Masterpiece
Prospect Park gardener Jesse Brody offers insights on maintaining a positive outlook while facing challenges in Olmsted’s beloved Brooklyn park.
Olmsted & Friends Interviews
Olmsted and Friends: Meet Philip Loughlin
Meet Phillip Loughlin, a member of our Olmsted 200 Honorary Committee!
Olmsted Insider Newsletter
Olmsted Insider: October 2021
As we celebrate the many accomplishments of Frederick Law Olmsted, Olmsted 200 also examines how his values and principles can help address challenges facing public parks today. For his time, Olmsted espoused some fairly radical perspectives — believing that parks belonged to all people and contributed to public health and well-being. More than 100 years later, his dynamic ideas about democratic spaces live on.
Spotlights
Spotlight on… The Rochester Park System
Rochester, NY is one of only four cities in the U.S. with an entire park system designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Olmsted was commissioned in 1888 to design the first park for the city on 20 acres of donated land. However, Olmsted recommended the addition of lands along the Genesee River, north and south of […]
Ecology & Sustainability
Concert Grove and London Planes – A Look Inside Prospect Park
Prospect Park Gardener, Jesse Brody, here muses on the London Plane Tree that provides the canopy in Prospect Park’s Concert Grove.
Olmsted in the Arts
Early depictions of Central Park and the stories they tell
Central Park, the first joint venture of Olmsted and Vaux, from its first years, has also inspired many artists to depict its scenery and the ways people enjoy it, giving us, as a few early examples show, another way to appreciate the park’s design and social impact.
Landscape Architecture & Design
The Olmsted Legacy in Chicago
Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. (1822-1903) is one of my favorite figures in American history. Not only was he the nation’s pre-eminent landscape architect, but he made significant contributions as an author, conservationist, abolitionist, and social reformer. Frederick Law Olmsted and his sons–the Olmsted Brothers–had important ties with Chicago that are often overlooked. At 6:00 p.m., […]
Olmsted 200
NPS Issues Call for Papers — Olmsteds: Landscapes and Legacies
As part of the bicentennial, NPS issues a Call for Papers to examine the multi-faceted work of the Olmsted firm. Abstracts due by November 21, 2021
Advocacy
Protect Parks. Defend Democracy.
Sweeping budget cuts could weaken parks, trails and green spaces nationwide. Act now to defend funding and keep parks open for all.
Why the Fight for White Stadium Must Go On
The Emerald Necklace Conservancy recently lost its case opposing the privatization of White Stadium, but with an appeal underway, the fight to protect public access in Boston’s Franklin Park continues.
Olmsted’s Legacy at the Capitol Lives On
The Olmsted Network’s guide to the U.S. Capitol Grounds makes its way to Congress just in time for the upcoming presidential inauguration.
Olmsted & Friends
This series of interviews highlights the people who have long championed Olmsted and the Olmsted Network.
Olmsted & Friends Interviews
Olmsted & Friends: Meet Layla George
Layla George, Olmsted Network board member and former Olmsted Parks Conservancy President, shares her appreciation for Olmsted in this brief interview.
Olmsted & Friends Interviews
Olmsted and Friends: Meet Arleyn Levee
Meet Arleyn Levee, an ardent and vocal advocate who has served the Olmsted Network in countless forms since its founding in 1980.
Olmsted & Friends Interviews
Olmsted & Friends: Meet Salmaan Khan
Salmaan Khan, the Olmsted Network’s newest board member, shares his appreciation for Olmsted in this brief interview.
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