The Legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace in Contemporary Boston
- James C O’Connell (National Park Service, Boston, Massachusetts)
Abstract
A few years ago, I was reading about a booming Chinese city that wanted to complement development with parks. Planners in Shenzhen were debating whether to create a “Central Park” or an “Emerald Necklace,” referencing the parks that landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted designed for New York (1858) and Boston (1878-1896) respectively. Shenzhen ended up creating an “Emerald Necklace” network of parkland, presumably because it served residents more effectively. This story indicates the strong influence that Frederick Law Olmsted still holds over planners and the public around the world.
Keywords: greenways, olmsted, emerald necklace, legacy, boston
How to Cite:
O’Connell, J. C., (2016) “The Legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace in Contemporary Boston”, Fábos Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning 5(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/fabos.641
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