"The park throughout is a single work of art, and as such, subject to the primary law of every work of art, namely, that it shall be framed upon a single, noble motive, to which the design of all its parts, in some more or less subtle way, shall be confluent and helpful." — Frederick Law Olmsted <P>For decades Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903) designed parks and park systems across the United States, leaving an enduring legacy of designed public space that is enjoyed, studied, and protected today. Olmsted's plans and professional correspondence are a rich source for understanding his remarkable contribution to the quality of urban life in this country and the development of the profession of landscape architecture. His writings also provide a unique record of society and politics in post-Civil War America. Historians, landscape architects, conservationists, city planners and citizens' groups continue to turn to Olmsted for inspiration in their planning and protection of public open space in our cities. <P>This latest volume of the Papers of Frederick Law Olmsted presents the record of his last years of residence in New York City. It includes reports on the design of Riverside and Morningside parks and Tompkins Square in Manhattan, as well as his comprehensive plan for the street system and rapid transit routes of the Bronx. It records his continuing work on Central Park and presents his final retrospective statement, "The Spoils of the Park." In addition, the volume contains an annotated version of the journal in which Olmsted recorded instances of political maneuvering and patronage politics in the years prior to his dismissal from the New York parks department in 1878. Laterchapters chronicle the early stages of his planning of the Boston park system — the Back Bay Fens, Arnold Arboretum, and Riverway. Other major commissions, each with its own political complications, were the grounds of the U. S. Capitol, the completion of the new state capitol in

Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903) for decades guided the development of cities and suburbs across the US, leaving a much-admired legacy of lovely, winding parkways and urban green spaces. This volume collects 18 of Olmsted's reports on major plans for parks, parkways, and park systems including Boston, New York City, and Montreal, describing what qualities of scenery are important in landscape architecture, how parks should be managed, and why green spaces are crucial to city life. B&w illustrations, maps.
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The park throughout is a single work of art, and as such, subject to the primary law of every work of art, namely, that it shall be framed upon a single, noble motive, to which the design of all its parts, in some more or less subtle way, shall be confluent and helpful. — Frederick Law Olmsted

Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903) for decades guided the development of cities and suburbs across the United States, leaving a well-known legacy of winding parkways and urban green preserves that are enjoyed, studied, and protected today. Although he never wrote a single, comprehensive treatise explaining and defending his theories, Olmsted's plans and reports offer a rich opportunity to trace the innovative ideas about landscape architecture and urban design. These documents also help to explain why historians, landscape architects, conservationists, city planners, students, and citizens' groups continue to turn to Olmsted for ideas about the development and conservation of green spaces in urban areas.

Writings on Public Parks, Parkways, and Park Systems collects in one volume Olmsted's reports on major plans for parks, parkways, and park systems across the continent. Through these writings — spanning forty years and covering work in places as diverse as Detroit, Montreal, Buffalo, New York City, Cincinnati, and Boston — Olmsted explains what qualities of scenery are important in landscape architecture, how parks should be managed, and why green spaces are crucial to city life. The editors have gathered a rich assortment of documents that make clear as never before the wide-ranging talents and civic devotion of this important American figure.

v. 1. Writings on public parks, parkways, and park systems / Charles E. Beveridge, Carolyn F. Hoffman, editors.