Emerald Necklace
Figure 1: 1894 Plan for Emerald Park System.
In the late 19th century, a citizens’ group petition to the city to reserve space for public parks to encourage community and a sense of identity to public space. In response to the public’s petition, the City of Boston created a Park Commission to be responsibility of two key agendas that Boston seeks to resolve, first to establish a park system and second to fix the sewage problem occurring in Back Bay. Without any delay, the Park Commission sought help from the distinguished landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted.
The park system that emerged in Boston is to the intricate work of Frederick Law Olmsted was served beyond its expectation of attractive landscape but his methods exemplified a planning process, a practice not utilized by developers in Boston during this period. Olmsted supervised the construction and planning of the park system from 1879 to 1895. His work is one of the biggest projects that Boston municipal had endorsed during this era. In Olmsted’s letter to the Park Commission, Olmsted proposed an elaborate plan that sought to incorporated economic and cultural dynamics into the park system that now is an idealized heritage of town life in Boston.[1] Olmsted’s park system plan addressed issues that Boston was struggling with such as the division of social classes. Olmsted aim to create a public space that is within reach for all but also to be a remedy for social ills. In addition, Olmsted made suggestions to address the physical ills of the sewage problem happening in Back Bay. While the commissioner planned to build a storm drain to alleviate the sewage dilemma, Olmsted urged a different plan. Olmsted’s plan was to revamp an undesirable border which he would called the Back Bay Fen, while utilizing the same area to provide an effective conduit for flood waters. Olmsted’s vision and strategic planning solved some of Boston’s prominent problems during a period of unstructured government organization in land use planning. His plan for Back Bay Fen was the first development of the park system that would soon expand and become known as “Emerald Necklace”. It was a strand of roadways connecting parks and outlying sections of the city with the peninsula to help beautify and unify the city.[2]
Olmsted’s pioneering work in designing the city’s park system was momentous because it created a platform for the role of government in determining the appearance of the city.
Reference:
1. Olmsted, Frederick Law. Civilizing American Cities: Writings on City Landscapes. Da Capo Press, 1997.
2. Olmsted, Frederick Law. "Public parks and the enlargement of towns." Cambridge, Mass (1870).
Figure 1: Boston Parks Department & Olmsted Architects. 1894 Plan for the Emerald Park System. c. 1894. Wikipedia. Web. 28 Feb 2013.
The park system that emerged in Boston is to the intricate work of Frederick Law Olmsted was served beyond its expectation of attractive landscape but his methods exemplified a planning process, a practice not utilized by developers in Boston during this period. Olmsted supervised the construction and planning of the park system from 1879 to 1895. His work is one of the biggest projects that Boston municipal had endorsed during this era. In Olmsted’s letter to the Park Commission, Olmsted proposed an elaborate plan that sought to incorporated economic and cultural dynamics into the park system that now is an idealized heritage of town life in Boston.[1] Olmsted’s park system plan addressed issues that Boston was struggling with such as the division of social classes. Olmsted aim to create a public space that is within reach for all but also to be a remedy for social ills. In addition, Olmsted made suggestions to address the physical ills of the sewage problem happening in Back Bay. While the commissioner planned to build a storm drain to alleviate the sewage dilemma, Olmsted urged a different plan. Olmsted’s plan was to revamp an undesirable border which he would called the Back Bay Fen, while utilizing the same area to provide an effective conduit for flood waters. Olmsted’s vision and strategic planning solved some of Boston’s prominent problems during a period of unstructured government organization in land use planning. His plan for Back Bay Fen was the first development of the park system that would soon expand and become known as “Emerald Necklace”. It was a strand of roadways connecting parks and outlying sections of the city with the peninsula to help beautify and unify the city.[2]
Olmsted’s pioneering work in designing the city’s park system was momentous because it created a platform for the role of government in determining the appearance of the city.
Reference:
1. Olmsted, Frederick Law. Civilizing American Cities: Writings on City Landscapes. Da Capo Press, 1997.
2. Olmsted, Frederick Law. "Public parks and the enlargement of towns." Cambridge, Mass (1870).
Figure 1: Boston Parks Department & Olmsted Architects. 1894 Plan for the Emerald Park System. c. 1894. Wikipedia. Web. 28 Feb 2013.