How Olmsted Changed America

From sea to shining sea, Frederick Law Olmsted constructed hundreds of parks and public spaces across America. He transformed the field of landscape architecture, and through his work, sought to provide the antidote for the increasingly crowded cities with parks. Olmsted changed the way the society viewed public spaces. The ingenious architect and city planner built the America we know today, advocating for the conservation of green spaces, which contributes to America’s vast and diverse landscape. His legacy still lives on today in the parks he planned, and his artistry is still seen and experienced by millions of people throughout America.
Olmsted’s innovative way of taking on public green spaces altered the way people viewed the profession of landscaping. Before Olmsted’s work in the field, there were very few people who took part in the planning and development of public spaces. In fact, in 1858 when
At the time, the ability to view art was reserved for the privileged, but Olmsted believed that beautiful landscape should be available to the public. He also was motivated to design parks because cities at the time were known for being overcrowded and plagued with crime and disease. Olmsted wanted “...to breed among their inhabitants not only physical ills but a callous habit of mind...It not only helped to offset the physical ill effects of the city’s congestion, hurry, and noise...it also gave people of all classes the opportunity to meet and mingle in casual friendliness, to enjoy the same circumstances side by side…”. The idea of a park, which seems like common sense to society now, was new and innovative during Olmsted’s time. The drive to create spaces that could bring different people together and balance out the polluted and industrial city transformed the way society views the importance of parks and