The CampChuck Reviewer

The United States is much characterized by vast open spaces.  As early as the first half of the 1800s, our land of opportunity also teemed with the explosive growth of its cities.

The USA might breathe proudest at the accomplishment and significance of its National Park System.  As early as the first half of the 1800s, the seed was first sown to address the fundamental need to be “free from the disturbance of noise and jar.”  This sentiment, expressed by Frederick Law Olmsted, was part of his design concept for New York City’s Central Park. 

Olmsted designed hundreds of urban parks, college campuses and other projects engineered to “keep nature in cities.”  It’s fair to say that Olmsted deserves to be respected on par with John Muir.  Seeing the film “The Olmsted Legacy” helps to crystallize how much this man is responsible for a counterpoint American spirit.

Part of Olmsted’s growth as a landscape architect included helping to foster the early notion of National Parks with his work in and around Yosemite.  Overwhelmingly, though, his devotion focused on urban spaces like the mile long meadow in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park or creating urban park systems as he did in Buffalo and Boston.

At his core a city planner and a servant of the people, Olmsted solved problems like channeling storm water and handling sewage problems while enhancing such urban spaces for public use.  Foremost, Olmsted addressed the need for the pastoral, for the picturesque, for relief from the contrived and stressful demands of urbanized life.

“The Olmsted Legacy” is the kind of personable history lesson that is perfect amidst the heightened pitch and the issue laden devotions that fuel the Wild & Scenic Film Festival.