Olmsted in Seattle: Creating a Park System for a Modern City
Thursday February 13, 2025 at 6pm via Zoom
In the midst of galloping growth at the turn of the twentieth century, Seattle’s city leaders seized on the confluence of a roaring economy with the City Beautiful movement to hire the Olmsted Brothers landscape architecture firm to design a park and parkway system. Their 1903 plan led to a supplemental plan, a playground plan, numerous park and boulevard designs, changes to park system management, and a ripple effect, as the Olmsted Brothers were hired to design public and private landscapes throughout the region. The park system shaped Seattle’s character and continues to play a key role in the city’s livability today.
Join historian Jennifer Ott to discuss the Olmsted Brothers’ vision for Seattle Parks, including what became the West Duwamish Greenbelt – the subject of the Log House Museum’s current exhibit, Seattle’s Forest.
Jennifer Ott is an Executive Director at History Link, environmental historian, and author. She is the co-author of Olmsted in Seattle: Creating a Park System for a Modern City.
