When you head to New York, do you ever take a break from the city and get lost on a trail in Central Park? This hour, we take a look at the life of the man behind that beloved and iconic city park: Connecticut native Frederick Law Olmsted.

Although best known for his work designing New York’s Central Park, Olmsted was also a journalist and abolitionist. And he shaped landscapes here in Connecticut and across the country, changing how we think about the role of nature in the process.

This hour we sit down with historians and landscape architects to talk about Frederick Law Olmsted’s legacy.

GUESTS:

• Justin Martin: Author, Genius of Place: The Life of Frederick Law Olmsted
• Walt Woodward: Connecticut State Historian; Associate Professor of History, UConn; Host, Grating The Nutmeg podcast
• Phil Barlow: Founding Principal, ToDesign LLC Landscape Architects
• Beka Sturges - Principal Landscape Architect, New Haven Office of Reed Hilderbrand

Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired on September 9, 2019.

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