Equity & Inclusion

Olmsted believed that parks were for all people and he viewed accessibility to nature as integral to Americans’ pursuit of happiness. Yet today park equity remains elusive for far too many. Find out more about the urgent conversation underway to ensure parks and public places are accessible for all people.

Recent News & Articles

Equity & Inclusion

Seeing the Forest and the Trees: Frederick Law Olmsted and the Twenty-First Century City

Among those who study the work of Olmsted, there is a growing consensus that Olmsted’s experiences in the South had a profound impact on his later career as a landscape architect who would design some of the nation’s most beloved parks.
Equity & Inclusion

Olmsted’s Democratic Vision

Olmsted’s parks give us an opportunity to enjoy natural beauty together -- and regain community and connection.
Equity & Inclusion

“Communitiveness” in the Age of Coronavirus

Frederick Law Olmsted sought to build “communitiveness” and healing through landscape design. As we mark the first anniversary of the pandemic, we need parks now more than ever.
Life & Times

Explore: Olmsted’s Crusade Against Slavery

Frederick Law Olmsted was a fierce opponent of slavery and an advocate for equal rights for Blacks in the Union Army.
Portraits of landscape architecture pioneers Annette C. McCrea, Frederick Law Olmsted and Martha Brookes Brown Hutcheson.
Equity & Inclusion

The Olmsted Legacy and Women in Landscape Architecture

The legacy and impact of the Olmsted firm on women landscape architects are not clear-cut, even though ideals about democracy and accessibility were ardently pursued in the firm’s designs. While the Olmsted firm did not hire any women landscape architects, several firm employees had significant moments of allyship with women in landscape architecture.