Frederick Law Olmsted Sr., born in Hartford in 1822, was America's preeminent parkmaker. Join us at UConn Hartford to explore how we can carry his legacy forward by building sustainable cities that focus on economic, ecological, and public health.

Olmsted (1822 - 1903) was the co-designer of Central Park, creating the nation’s first public urban park in 1857. For over 100 years, he and the design firm he spawned completed thousands of parks and greenspace projects across America.

 

As a Hartford native, Olmsted’s boyhood walks in the area of Keney Park’s Ten Mile Woods helped to shape his love for pastoral and picturesque scenery. Later, in his professional life, these would become the ideals he employed in the design of urban parks.

 

To celebrate the bicentennial of Olmsted’s birth, this symposium, The Olmsted Legacy in Connecticut: Building Sustainable Cities, will show how the Olmsted park legacy shapes the future of 21st century parks throughout America, but especially in Hartford and Connecticut. The Covid-19 pandemic showed us the value of access to parks, trails and greenspace, and this symposium will address the importance of park equity and access. By connecting the Olmsted park legacy to contemporary issues of public health, ecological health and economic health, this symposium will appeal to members of park friends groups, park design professionals, academics, and community members interested in understanding the future of Connecticut cities.