The Legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace in Contemporary Boston

Authors

James C. O’Connell, National Park Service, Boston, Massachusetts

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/fabos.641

Publication Date

2016

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.

Recommended Citation

O’Connell, James C. (2016) "The Legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace in Contemporary Boston," Proceedings of the Fábos Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning: Vol. 5: Iss. 1, Article 23.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7275/fabos.641
Available at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/fabos/vol5/iss1/23