Olmsted Day in Jamaica Plain

Submitted by City of Boston Parks Department:

Gerry Wright of the Friends of Jamaica Pond strolls Pinebank in character as noted landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of the Emerald Necklace park system. Mayor Thomas M. Menino proclaimed Thursday, April 25 as Frederick Law Olmsted Day in the City of Boston celebrating the “superbly designed” Olmsted parks. The proclamation states, in part,that the Emerald Necklace and other parks designed by the Olmsted firm have sustained histimeless design goals of providing a safe, relaxing environment for recreation and rejuvenationin an urban setting as well as opportunities to improve health with outdoor exercise. In addition,the open spaces Olmsted created are credited with providing critical environmental benefitsincluding storm water recharge, tree canopy reduction of heat island effect, and clean air. The Muddy River in Olmsted’s park system is presently undergoing a major restoration project thatwill improve water flow and unearth a section that has been buried for decades.