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Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America

The Fall and Rise of Central Park

Clip: Episode 1 | 3m 5sVideo has Closed Captions

In the 1970s Central Park in New York City was neglected and misused.

In the decades after Olmsted’s death, many of the parks he created were neglected and misused. For Central Park in New York City, the low point came in the 1970s. The Central Park Conservancy was founded 1980 to bring the park back. Its mission statement: To make the park clean, safe, and beautiful. By the late 1980s, Olmsted and Vaux’s original vision for Central Park had been largely restored.

06/19/2014 | Rating TV-PG

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Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America is presented by your local public television station.

Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America has been made possible by major grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor and The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation. With...

Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America Trailer

Clip: Ep1 | 2m 1s | A biography of the man who made public parks an essential part of American life. (2m 1s)

Louisville: From Olmsted to the 21st Century

Video has Closed Captions

Clip: Ep1 | 3m 24s | A 4,000 acre is being built in the Olmsted tradition for the city of Louisville, Kentucky. (3m 24s)

Photography and Design in Olmsted’s Boston Parks

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Clip: Ep1 | 2m 8s | Olmsted pioneered the use of photography to show before, during, and after construction. (2m 8s)

The Best Planned City in the World

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Clip: Ep1 | 13m 38s | Developing the nation’s first park system and creating a park at Niagara Falls, NY. (13m 38s)

The Campaign to Save the Olmsted Linear Park in Atlanta

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Clip: Ep1 | 3m 58s | The Preservation of an Olmsted Park in the Druid Hills suburb in Atlanta. (3m 58s)

Changes and Challenges in Olmsted Parks

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Clip: Ep1 | 4m 6s | Olmsted feared that his parks would be ruined by intrusions of all sorts. (4m 6s)

Olmsted and Chicago

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Clip: Ep1 | 6m 30s | Olmsted designs a residential community, major parks, and the World’s Exposition. (6m 30s)

Frederick Law Olmsted - Preview

Preview: Ep1 | 31s | Premieres Friday, June 20, 2014 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. Check your local listings. (31s)

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Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America is presented by your local public television station.

Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America has been made possible by major grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor and The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation. With...

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