Shared Spaces

Diverse voices exploring the Olmsteds' living legacy.

America at 250: Democracy and Public Spaces
Parks & Public Spaces

America at 250: Democracy and Public Spaces

In commemorating America’s 250th birthday, we must stand together for the public lands that define American life.
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Recent News & Articles

Olmsted & the Olmsted Firm

Two Historic Observatories and Their Olmsted Landscapes

Two observatories – one focused on astronomy and the other on the weather – are being restored, along with their Olmsted landscapes, in time for 2022.
Olmsted 200

Bunny Mellon, Frederick Law Olmsted and Olmsted 200

Famed landscape gardener and philanthropist Bunny Mellon found inspiration in the Olmsted firm. Her Oak Spring Garden Foundation and NAOP have now joined forces in the creation of a 23-panel exhibit for the Olmsted Bicentennial: Frederick Law Olmsted: Landscapes for the Public Good.
Olmsted & Friends Interviews

Olmsted and Friends: Meet Austin Allen

Meet Austin Allen, a member of our Olmsted 200 Honorary Committee!
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.
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Advocacy

The Olmsted Network Joins Coalition to Protect West Potomac Park

At stake is not only West Potomac Park but the principle that America’s civic landscapes must be shaped through transparent, lawful, and public processes.

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Defending America’s Civic Landscapes

The Olmsted Network joins the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s legal efforts to protect the integrity of the White House grounds.

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White Stadium Case Heads to Massachusetts’ Highest Court

The Olmsted Network defends Boston’s Emerald Necklace—and public parks nationwide.

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Olmsted & Friends

This series of interviews highlights the people who have long championed Olmsted and the Olmsted Network.

Olmsted & Friends Interviews

Olmsted & Friends: Meet David Price

David Price is due to retire in June 2026 after 39 years of service to Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, FL, overseeing the most significant period of growth in the landscape's 100+ year history.
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.
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.

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