Frederick Law Olmsted and his partner, Calvert Vaux, chose the term “landscape architect” to describe their work, a term that has become part of our vocabulary. He designed (and named) the “parkway” as a way to separate commercial vehicles from recreational ones. He created the first park systems and greenways in the country, and launched the first great experiment in scientific forestry in the U.S. He is also credited with designing the first planned suburb.

Throughout almost twenty years of work on the Emerald Necklace (1878-1896), Olmsted created special retreats—places for both active and passive recreation; open spaces offering relief and refreshment from the pressures of everyday life. Beyond the natural beauty Frederick Law Olmsted harnessed or redesigned in his many works, his greatest legacy may be his social vision and the unwavering belief in democracy that he brought to his profession — a belief that parks could serve as meeting grounds for people of different backgrounds and economic means. In the Emerald Necklace, this belief has been achieved.