Conversations with Olmsted: Parks for the People
When Frederick Law Olmsted first visited Birkenhead Park— aptly nicknamed the People’s Garden— near Liverpool, England, in 1850, he was astonished to find that the park was wholly and freely accessible to all people regardless of their position in society.
This philosophy stuck with Olmsted and inspired his belief in parks for all people. Nearly 200 years before the environmental justice movement, Olmsted designed parks as democratic spaces and called for the creation of national scenic reservations— for all Americans.
Today, parks, like libraries, are one of the last remaining free, public spaces. Parks serve a vital role in our society, providing not only environmental and public health benefits but opportunities for recreation, community building, and assembly.
In this Olmsted Network webinar, explore the ways in which people utilize parks and how public parks can provide, in Olmsted’s words, an “enlarged sense of freedom” leading to a more equitable and just world. Expert speakers include professors Ethan Carr and Elaine Scarry and Rev. Timothy Findley, Jr.
