If you are a New Yorker or you live in New York for a while you must have heard about
Frederick Law Olmsted who was co-creator of Central Park in Manhattan (New
York City) and Prospect Park in Brooklyn. His vision and talent took him to
achieve the most amazing projects across the country. Putting into reality what was
only in his mind. Author, journalist, public official, urban planner and founder of
American Landscape Architecture, Olmsted recognized the importance of having
public parks for communities and to bring them together when nobody even
considered it. This year marks the 200th birthday of Frederick Law Olmsted and in
his honor The National Olmsted 200 Campaign, was created to engages a talented
coalition of landscapes architects, design professionals, city planners, public health
professionals, conservationists, community leaders, historians and educators who
the main goal is to keep Olmsted's values in today's challenges. Those values include
the combination of having public parks open to all and the health benefit of them
in the cities where the majority of families live. Parks in the city not only are
delightful and relaxing also provide a sense of peace and safety for park goers and
the communities. Without parks cities would look sad and gray for the most part
and Olmsted knew it and that was his futuristic vision that by the grace of God
prevalence today. To celebrate the Olmsted 200th birthday anniversary on April
25th, at The Loeb Boathouse in Central Park, Manhattan took place an amazing
jubilation gathering philanthropists, public officials, celebrities, landscapes
designers, city planners and public health professionals. The remarkable evening
started with a “Green Carpet” arrival and a nice indoors-outdoors cocktail party.
The main names attending the celebration were; TV personality and author Martha
Stewart, NYC Parks Commissioner Susan M. Donoghue, President/CEO Brooklyn
Botanic Garden, former NYC Parks Commissioner. Iris Weinshall; Joan K,
Davidson President Emeritus J.M. Kaplan Fund. Central Park Conservancy
President/CEO Elizabeth Smith, Dini and Chuck Pickering from The Biltmore
Company. Founding head of Central Park Conservancy Betsy Barlow Rogers,
former Prospect Park Administrator Tupper Thomas, “Flower Flash” artist Lewis
Miller, Famed NYC landscape architect Laurie Olin. Brooklyn Bridge Park
Designer Michael Van Valkenburgh. Studio Zewde Founder Sara Zewde. Also
Torey Carter-Conneen, Debra Oliver, Eugenie Birch, Sara Cedar Miller. Parks
Conservancy heads from NYC, Buffalo, Rochester, Boston, Mass., Louisville, Ky.
Milwaukee, Wisc. And Seattle, and National Association for Olmsted Parks
President/CEO Anne Neal Petri.
The Olmsted 200 is managed by the National Association for Olmsted Parks along
with founding partners The American Society of Landscape Architects, The
Garden Club of America, Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site, City
Parks Alliance, National Recreation and Park Association, The Cultural Landscape
Foundation, The Trust for Public Land, American Public Health Association and
The Landscape Architecture Foundation. The amazing evening continued with a
seating dinner looking at the lake and a gorgeous sunset. Dede Petri, who is the
president and CEO of the National Associationfor Olmsted Parks, managing
partner of Olmsted 200, made remarks while the Program Slideshow began,
thanking everyone for their support and in particular to Betsy Smith CEO of
Central Park Conservancy who acknowledge the generous support was provided to
NAOP and Olmsted 200 by Cary Brown and Steven Eptein, Phil Loughlin,
Jenny and Mike Messner, Cathy and Mike Mayton and Stella Boyle Smith Trust,
David Egner and Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, Eugenie Birch, Elizabeth
Olmsted, and Joan Davidson of the JM Kaplan Fund, who started Olmsted
celebrations 50 years ago. During the evening had mentioned the names of the
individuals who work at the organizations that are preserving the ideals and values
of Frederick Law Olmsted, working across the country keeping his legacy alive.
His vision went far more than just a pretty landscapes he was able to figured all
the aspects and the importance of having a public outdoor place for all specially at
times when citizens didn't consider having such places and how relevant they
are. For more information about Frederick Law Olmsted please visit
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Law_Olmsted
 https://olmsted200.org/