January9,2019

GREENNETWORKSAShortHistory

UBCSchoolofArchitectureandLandscapeArchitectureLARC444/553GreenNetworkPlanning

AVerySelectiveHistory….

THEMES1.Pioneersofgreenspacesystems2.Greenspacesystemsandurbanform3.Earlygreenneighbourhoods

EARLYGREENSYSTEMSTHINKING&PLANSOlmsted(s),Kessler,Cleveland

FREDERICKLAWOLMSTED

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FREDERICKLAWOLMSTED1822-1903

Farmer,socialreformer,journalist,socialcritic,publicadministratorand…

Firsttocoin“landscapearchitect”FatherofLandscapeArchitecture

designerof~100parks,parksystems,estates,27campuses

FREDERICKLAWOLMSTED(FLO)

WithCalvertVaux,designedCentralParkin1858

Landscapearchitectureconsultingfirm1865-1898

OlmstedBrothers:FLOJuniorandJohnCharles1898-1980

sourceGettyImages

Aplaceofrespitefortheworkingclassfromtheindustrialcity

beauty,sanitation,health

Olmstedenvisionedasystemofgreenspacesextendingthroughout

NYC-parkwaysandlinearparksinterconnectingthemajorparks

CentralPark-diagramshowingRiverside,Heckscher1977p.169

OLMSTED-CentralPark,NYC

OLMSTED-Pleasuredrives

ProspectPark,Brooklyn

Parkways(pleasuredrivestoandbetweenparks)

interconnectedparkssystems

LewisMumford:“Theparksystemisthusthevery

spearheadofcomprehensiveurbanplanning”.

Heckscher1977p.193

Source:AlbertFein,1972FLOlmstedandtheAmericanenvironmental

tradition.

BUFFALOPARKSYSTEMOlmsted&Vaux1868-1872

USA-“firstsystemofparksandhistoricparkways”

BuffaloOlmstedParksConservancy

VISION:•parkwayasform-givers•connecgngkeyparks

•armatureforinterconnecgngfutureparks

Heckscher-assystemaborted

BOSTONPARKSYSTEMakaEmeraldNecklace(1878-1895)FrederickLawOlmsted,CharlesElliot,JohnCharlesOlmsted,FrederickLawOlmsted,Jr.

(Olmstedcoinedtheterm“parksystem”)

sourcewikimedia.org

http://wikimedia.org

BOSTONPARKSYSTEMakaEmeraldNecklace(1878-1895)FrederickLawOlmsted,CharlesElliot,JohnCharlesOlmsted,FrederickLawOlmsted,Jr.

envisionedasacircumnavigagnggreenbeltaroundBoston(never

completed)

beginsatBostonCommon(1634)

“achainofparkslinkedbyparkwaysandwaterways”

Wikipedia

walking,pleasuredrives,smallparks,arboretum,largepark(Franklin),along

waterways

BostonParkDepartment&OlmstedLandscapeArchitects,“MapoftheBackBayFens,”TheUrbanImagination,accessedSeptember4,2017,http://

dighist.fas.harvard.edu/courses/2015/HUM54/items/show/70.

BACKBAYFENS-FirstGreenInfrastructure

“FrederickLawOlmsted….proposedtoflushout

thestagnantwaterwayandaddnaturalisfcplanfngsto

emulatetheoriginal.demarshecologyoftheFenwayarea.Hisplanwastruetoboththecharacterofthelandand

theneedsofthegrowingpopulafon.”

BostonMayorMargnJ.Walsh

INFLUENCESINCANADA

1877MountRoyalPark,MontrealF.L.OlmstedSr.

FREDERICKTODD,LandscapeArchitectFirstresidentlandscapearchitectinCanada

EXAMPLESOFWORK:1904AssiniboinePark,Winnipeg

1899ParksystemoftheNationalCapital-Ottawa

1905Parksystem,Edmonton

ResidentialdevelopmentsinVancouver-

ShaughnessyandPointGrey

GreenspacesalongtheNorthSaskatchewanRiver,Edmonton

MINNEAPOLISPARKSYSTEM(1880’s)H.W.S.(Horace)Cleveland

Heckscher:Protectingandinterconnecting

naturalfeatures

AcityofparkwaysAcitycharacterizedbynatural

features

MinneapolisParkSystemPlan,1883sourceHeckscher1977,page207

JOHN C.BOHANON

PARK

PERKINS HILL

PARK

MARY McLEODBETHUNE

PARK

STONE ARCHBRIDGE LOT

MILL RUINSPARK

GEORGELUXTON

PARK

FRANK H. PEAVEYFIELD

DORILUS MORRISON

PARK

EDMUND J.PHELPS

PARK

HIAWATHA SCHOOL

PARK

DR. MARTIN LUTHER

KING PARK

SHOREVIEW & 54TH ST E PROPERTY

SHOREVIEW & 541/2 ST E PROPERTY

SHOREVIEW & 55TH ST EPROPERTY

MINNEHAHA CREEK PARK

CHARLES C.WEBBER

PARK

NICOLLETISLAND

EAST RIVERFLATS

BEARD'SPLAISANCE

CREEKVIEW PARK

FIRSTBRIDGE

PARK

BOHEMIANFLATS

RIVERSIDE PARK

VINELANDTRIANGLE

THEODORE WIRTH

PARK / GOLF

MINNEHAHA PARK

HIAWATHA PARK / GOLF

COLUMBIA PARK / GOLF

DIAMOND LAKE PARK

POWDERHORN PARK

LORING PARK

PEARL PARK

BOSSEN FIELD

BRYN MAWR MEADOWS

FOLWELL PARK

NORTH MISSISSIPPI

PARK

KENWOOD PARK

FARVIEW PARK

SHINGLE CREEK PARK

EDWARD C. SOLOMON PARK

BASSETT'S CREEK PARK

WILLIAM BERRY PARK

BOOM ISLAND PARK

ARMATAGE PARK

NORTH COMMONS

PARK

LYNDALE FARMSTEAD

LOGAN PARK

WAITE PARK

VALLEY VIEW PARK

KENNY PARK

SIBLEY

FIELD

MCRAE PARK

CEDAR LAK

E TRAIL

BRACKETT FIELD

WINDOM PARK

BF NELSON PARK

ELLIOT PARK

MATTHEWS PARK

BELTRAMI PARK

PERSHING

VAN CLEVE PARK

LYNNHURST PARK

HARRISON PARK

STEWART PARK

DEMING HEIGHTS PARK

LONGFELLOW PARK

LINDEN HILLS PARK

CURRIE PARK

AUDUBON PARK

HALL PARK

SUMNER FIELD

HIVIEW PARK

HOLMES PARK

CAVELL PARK

MORRIS PARK

EAST PHILLIPS PARK

JORDAN PARK

BRYANT SQUARE

ST ANTHONY PARK

WHITTIER PARK

THE MALL

TOWERHILL PARK

MURPHY SQUARE

KEEWAYDIN PARK

PAINTER PARK

WASHBURN FAIR OAKS

PARK

MARSHALL TERRACE

PARK

JACKSON SQUARE

FULLER PARK

CORCORAN PARK

STEVENS SQUARE

DICKMAN PARK

WAVELAND TRIANGLE

MUELLER PARK

ORVIN"OLE"

OLSON PARK

SEVEN OAKS OVAL

MARCY PARK

EDGEWATER PARK

LOVELL SQUARE

HUMBOLDT GREENWAY

DELL PARK

PHILLIPS POOL& GYM PARK

CHUTE SQUARE

WILLARD PARK

GLEN GALE PARK

FARWELL PARK

CEDAR AVENUE FIELD

CLEVELAND PARK

PARK SIDING PARK

CLINTON FIELD

THOMAS LOWRY

PARK

FRANKLIN STEELE SQUARE

RESERVE BLOCK 40 PARK

WASHBURN AVENUE TOTLOT

BARNES PLACE

SHERIDANMEMORIAL

PARK

ARCHITECT TRIANGLE

COTTAGE PARK

ADAMS TRIANGLE

LUCY WILDER MORRIS PARK

ALCOTT TRIANGLE

SMITH TRIANGLE

WEST END TRIANGLE

49TH AVENUE CORRIDOR

NEWTON TRIANGLE

NORMANNA TRIANGLE

PIONEER TRIANGLE

WASHINGTONTRIANGLE

IRVING TRIANGLE

SVEA TRIANGLE

PENN MODEL VILLAGE TRIANGLE

RUSTIC LODGE TRIANGLE

GLADSTONE TRIANGLE

ST LOUIS TRIANGLE

CALEB DORR CIRCLE

OLIVER TRIANGLE

RUSSELL TRIANGLE

PARK AVENUE TRIANGLE

ELMWOOD TRIANGLE

LAUREL TRIANGLE

OAK CREST TRIANGLE

SIBLEY TRIANGLE

ROLLINS TRIANGLE

HUMBOLDT TRIANGLE

CHOWEN TRIANGLE

FREMONT TRIANGLE

BARTON TRIANGLE

MONROE PLACE TRIANGLE

Mississippi River

Lake Harriet

Lake Nokomis

Cedar Lake

Wirt

h La

ke

Birch Pond

55

55

55

94

94

94

94

94

94

35W

394

35W

35W

35W

394

MEADOWBROOKGOLF COURSE

35W

PARK

THE PARADE

THE GATEWAY

Spring Lake

BOTTINEAUFIELD

NORTHEASTICE

ARENA

HENNEPIN BLUFFS

PARK

JOANNLEVINPARKLake

of the Isles

PROPERTY

Lake Hiawatha

GEORGETODDPARK

CLARENCE TRIANGLE

ORLIN TRIANGLE

BEDFORD TRIANGLE

CHERGOSKY PARK

CLIFTONTRIANGLE

NORTHEAST PARK

Diamond Lake

KENWOODTRIANGLE

BrownieLake

St Anthony Pkwy

Kin

g's

Hig

hway

GLUEK PARK

SCHERER PARK

SOO LINEGARDEN

Lake Calhoun

GrassLake

GREEN CENTRAL

GYM

PARK

NW BELLPROPERTY

49th Ave N

42nd Ave N

Dowling Ave N

Lowry Ave N

Plymouth Ave N

Golden Valley RdWest Broadway

Hum

bold

t Ave

N

Lynd

ale

Ave

N

West Broadway

Lowry Ave NE

37th Ave NE

34th Ave NE

29th Ave NE

Uly

sses

St N

EMar

shal

l

University Ave SE

Cen

tral A

ve N

E

23rd Ave NE

2nd

St N

E

East Hennepin

East He

nnepin

8th Ave

NE

15th

Ave

SE

Mon

roe

St N

E

Broadway St NE

Fillm

ore

St N

E

Glenwood Ave N

Ceda

r Lak

e Rd

Henn

epin

Ave

8th St S

14th St E

3rd

Ave

S

Franklin Ave WFranklin Ave E

24th St W

26th St

Lake St W Lake St E

36th St W

39th St W

40th St W

43rd St W

50th St W 50th St E

46th St W

48th St W

54th St W Lake Rd WDiamond

Rd E 55th St E

58th St W

35th St E

38th St E

42nd St E

Hen

nepi

n A

ve Ste

vens

Ave

S

Bry

ant A

ve S

Lynd

ale

Ave

SLy

ndal

e A

ve S

Cho

wen

Ave

S

Xer

xes

Ave

S

Was

hbur

n A

ve S

Pen

n A

ve S

Frem

ont A

ve S

Chi

cago

Ave

SC

hica

go A

ve S

Ced

ar A

ve S

Ced

ar A

ve S

Ced

ar A

ve S

10th

Ave

S

20th

Ave

S

Por

tland

Ave

S

Nok

omis

Ave

S

40th

Ave

S

28th

Ave

S28

th A

ve S

29th

Ave

S

38th

Ave

SW

illiam

s Av

e SE

St Anthony Pkwy

Columbia

Pkwy

E Minneh

aha Pkwy

Wirt

h P

kwy

Irvin

g A

ve N

38th St W

Uni

vers

ity A

ve N

E

St N

E

Stin

son

Pkw

y

Main St

Memorial Pkwy

Mem

oria

l Pkw

y

Theo

dore

Wirt

h P

kwy

Ceda

r Lak

e Pk

wy

William

Berry

Pkwy

Lake

Har

riet

Pkw

y

Lind

en

Lake

Cal

houn

Pkw

y

Dea

n Pk

wy

Lake

of t

he Is

les

P

kwy

James I. PkwyRice

Godfrey

Pkwy

East River Pkwy

West River Pkwy

Ridgway Pkwy

Hill

s Bl

vd

Noko

mis

Lake

Pkwy

Minnehaha Creek Pkwy

Minnehaha Creek Pkwy

Kenw

ood P

kwy

OSSEO ROADPROPERTY

VICTORYPARK

WINDOM SOUTHPARK

LEONARD H. NEIMANSPORTS COMPLEX

FORT SNELLINGGOLF

Webber Pond

Twin

Lak

e

FRANCIS A. GROSSGOLF

COURSE

Loring Pond

Powderhorn Lake

MINNEHAHA CREEK PARK

FUJI YA PROPERTY

Ryan Lake

S Minnehaha Park Dr

MINNEAPOLISPARKSYSTEM(2017)

minneapolisparks.org

BestParkSystemincongnentalUS-2013TrustforPublicLand

ParkScoreranking

CentralMississippiRiverfrontRegionalParkPlan

GEORGEKESSLER

EducatedinlandscapearchitectureinGermany

1892LandscapeArchitectforKansasCityParkBoard

workedbrieflyinNewYork/communicatedwithOlmsted

Privatepracgce:designednotableparksandparksystemsinMemphis,Dallas,St

Louis,Indianapolis…

KANSASCITYPARKSYSTEMGeorgeKessler

Heckscher:Planningthe“bones”orstructureofthecity

&Expandablesystem

sourceHeckscher1977,page200,201

1893 1977

OLMSTEDBROTHERS-PORTLAND

JohnCharlesOlmsted,December1903

ProposedsystemofparksforPortland,Oregon

•parksshouldbepartofasystem•parksystemsshouldbe

comprehensive•connectedbyboulevardsand

parkways•sitedtotakeadvantageof

naturallandscapes&scenery•includeill-drainedareasand

areassubjecttofloodingUnknownauthor_graphicinterpretationoftheJohnCharlesOlmstedproposal

PORTLAND2035ComprehensivePlan(2016)

Visionforgreenwaysandhabitatareas

OLMSTEDBROTHERS-SEATTLE(1903-1941)1903Planforaparkssystem

“Theprimaryaimshouldbetosecureandpreservefortheuseofthepeople

…theseadvantagesofwaterandmountainviewsandofwoodlands…Anidealsystemwouldinvolvetaking

allofthebordersofthedifferentbodiesofwater…andtoenlargethese

fringesatsuitableandconvenientpoints.”

JohnCharlesOlmsted,1903

Source:Heckscher1977,page75

1903Plan 2019

JOHNNOLEN:Landscapearchitectandtownplanner

JohnNolen1869-1937educatedatHarvard1903-1905

studiedlandscapearchitectureunderFrederickLawOlmstedJr.

firstAmericantoidengfyhimselfasatownplanner

Nolen:“letnatureleadthewayinplanning”

JOHNNOLENNewTownsforOld1927

Nolen-preliminaryplanforFlintMichigan

influencedbyGardenCitymovementinEngland

orderlystreetplans+orderlylocagonofcivicandcommercialfaciliges

letnatureleadthewayinplanning(basedontopography;seongaside

naturalfeaturesforparksandrecreagon)

greenspacesshouldbepublic

NEIGHBOURHOODSCALE

OlmstedandVauxPlanforRiverside,IL1869

44%publicopenspace3milesriversidegreenspace

streettreeplanning

OLMSTED-Neighbourhoodplans

ShaughnessyHeights,Vancouver

namedaqerThomasShaughnessy,formerpresidentof

theCanadianPacificRailway

designedbyFrederickTodd,landscapearchitect

VANCOUVERINFLUENCESFREDERICKTODD

apre-eminenturbanistCongressforaNewUrbanism

•city-beaugful-influencedstreetplans•nature-influencedopenspaceplans

VeniceFloridaPlanJohnNolen1926

MariemontPlanJohnNolen1921

NOLEN-Neighbourhoodplans

NewUrbanistsFoundingmembersofCongress

foraNewUrbanism

promoted 
traditionalneighbourhood

development

walkableneighbourhoods

DUANYANDPLATER-ZYBERKwithcontributionsfromLeonKrier

SeasideFlorida1985

DUANYANDPLATER-ZYBERKwithcontributionsfromLeonKrier

NewUrbanistsFoundingmembersofCongress

foraNewUrbanism

promoted 
traditionalneighbourhood

development

walkableneighbourhoods

SeasideFlorida1985

CLARENCESTEIN&HENRYWRIGHTwithLAMarjorieSewellCautley

RegionalPlanAssociationofAmerica(withLewisMumford,

BentonMacKay,others)

influencedbyGardenCitymovementinBritain(Ebenezer

Howard,PatrickGeddes)

advantagesoftown/beautyanddelightofcountry

Radburn,NJplan1929

ATownforChildren:accommodatingthecar/safetyforchildren

walkableneighbourhoods

RADBURN

VILLAGEHOMES,Davis,CA

designedanddevelopedbyMichaelandJudyCorbett1975

CaliforniainterpretationofRadburn

street greenway

VILLAGEHOMES+agriculture

+greeninfrastructure

20 c

ases

GR

EEN

NET

WO

RK

S

2003SE False CreekVancouver, BC

51%

1975Village Homes

Davis, CA

32%

1998Beaches

Toronto, ON

37%

1995Civano

Tucson, AZ

15%

1997Garrison Woods

Calgary, AB

12%

2001Royal NodeEugene, OR

22%

1996Orenco Station

Hillsboro, OR

9%

2003Fairview

Salem, OR

26%

2002Heritage Park

Minneapolis, MN

14%

2003Villebois

Wilsonville, OR

32%

2002East Clayton

Surrey, BC

12%

2000Auguston

Abbotsford, BC

39%

1996Playa Vista

Los Angeles, CA

39%

1998Prairie Crossing

Grayslake, IL

52%

1998Coffee Creek

Chesterton, IN

39%

1990NW LandingDuPont, WA

15%

1996Stapleton

Denver, CO

37%

1996Cornell

Markham, ON

32%

2000Lowry AFBDenver, CO

39%

MOSTIMPORTANTTAKE-AWAYS

FOUNDATIONALPRINCIPLESOFEARLYVISIONARIES:• captureandpreservelandscapestructureearly(Nolen’sletnatureleadtheway)

• nature’slinearsystemsaretheidealconnectivetissueforparksystems

• plangreenspacesystemsatthecityscale• maintainthatsystemsthinkingdowntotheneighbourhoodscale

• imagineexpandablesystems• urbanismandgreenspacesystemscanfunctiontogether

QUESTIONS?COMMENTS?