Faculty Advisor

Andrew Gardner

Area of Study

Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Publication Date

Summer 2021

Abstract

The City Beautiful movements’ architects intentions were to create spaces where nature and humans could coexist. Before the movement, cities were not planned but were an outgrowth of the industrial capitalist process. The City Beautiful movement was the first attempt to bring nature into the urban landscape. The parks that the Olmsted firm were designing simultaneously showcased the most beautiful parts of the city and added to the beauty as well. Olmsted liked to create an entire city plan within a park. No matter what shape parks in Seattle take, they still represent the Olmsted legacy. They represent the legacy physically, in the way that they are centered around features that show off the beautiful and unique aspects of the city. They have native plant species and represent the flow of the natural landscape through paths that follow it. More than physically, parks practice the ideology of the Olmsted legacy. There are many different types of people interacting with the space in a number of different ways. Especially after the pandemic, it shows how resilient these spaces are. No matter what is occuring in city centers, individuals crave green spaces and the type of comradery that they bring.

Award

NS7

Publisher

University of Puget Sound

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