Spotlights

Recent News & Articles

Spotlights

Spotlight on… Riverside, IL

One of the first planned communities in the U.S.—Riverside, IL (Project Number 00607)—is said to be the realization of Frederick Law Olmsted’s vision of the ideal suburb. Riverside was designed by Olmsted to be a place of tranquility, combining the best of the city and the country. In 1869, Olmsted and his partner Calvert Vaux […]
Spotlights

Spotlight on… Trinity College

In post-Civil War America, Frederick Law Olmsted believed universities should play a critical role in advancing democracy. As he saw it, the physical environment– buildings and grounds – contributed to both the success of education as well as the shaping of character.   It’s perhaps not surprising that, in the course of his career, Olmsted […]
Spotlights

Spotlight on… Mount Royal, Montréal

In 1869, after a decade of toying with the idea of creating a park on Mount Royal, the City of Montréal began the process of acquiring the land to achieve its vision. The land purchase alone cost Montréal the equivalent of close to a full year’s budget. The City Council then went straight to Frederick […]
Spotlights

Spotlight on… Seaside Park

Shortly after the Civil War, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux transformed the lands around Bridgeport Harbor, Long Island Sound, and Black Rock Harbor into what is today – Seaside Park (Project No. 12021). Thanks to advocacy by Bridgeport’s daily newspaper, plus land donations from nearby residents, Seaside Park came to fruition. Most notable among […]
Spotlights

Spotlight on… Buffalo’s Olmsted Park System

The first of its kind in the United States, the Buffalo, New York system of interconnected parks and parkways (Project #00700) is one of the largest Olmsted bodies of work comprised of 24 park and parkway features. Designed between 1868 and 1915, the pioneering design duo of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux conceived of a wonderful […]
Spotlights

Spotlight on… Prospect Park

At the end of the 19th century, the burgeoning expansion of Brooklyn and the developing field of urban planning brought forth the desire for more public green space. After the completion of their monumental Central Park design, partners Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux were hired by the Brooklyn Parks Commissioners for a new project across the […]
Spotlights

Spotlight on … Lake Park

When Milwaukee Parks Commissioner Christian Wahl recruited FLO to design three parks for the city, the great landscape architect envisioned a grand system of parks and set about bringing it to life. All three parks – Lake Park, Riverside Park (originally River Park) and Washington Park (originally West Park) – remain. The 138-acre Lake Park features rustic bridges, winding paths, waterfalls, lake bluffs and natural ravines. […]