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The Best Planned City in the World

In 1868 Olmsted came to Buffalo, NY and was asked to choose a site for a park. Instead, he recommended three sites to be connected by a new concept – parkways. The system he and Vaux designed became the first coordinated park system in the nation. Later Olmsted visited Niagara Falls and started the “Free Niagara” campaign, a movement to clean up, preserve and set aside parts of that landscape.
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Clip Season 1 Episode 1 Length 13:38 Premiere: 06/19/14

Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America

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Green and blue background with a white schoolhouse. Text reads Used in Every Kentucky School DistrictGreen and blue background with a white schoolhouse. Text reads Used in Every Kentucky School District

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Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America

Known as the father of American landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted made public parks an essential part of American life. He co-designed Central Park, designed the U.S. Capitol Grounds and created park systems in many U.S. cities, including Louisville, Kentucky. His efforts to preserve nature helped shape an "environmental ethic" decades before the modern environmental movement.

  • Wednesday July 22, 2026 2:00 am ET on KET
  • Wednesday July 22, 2026 1:00 am CT on KET
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Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America

  • Monday July 20, 2026 9:00 pm ET on KET
  • Monday July 20, 2026 8:00 pm CT on KET
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