The Best Planned City in the World: Olmsted, Vaux, and the Buffalo Park System

From the Library of American Landscape History Explore the development of the parks and parkways that Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed for Buffalo, New York, beginning in 1868. A thirteen-minute documentary inspired by the book by author Francis R. Kowsky, published by UMass Press in association with LALH June 2013. The Best Planned City is the third film in the new LALH series North America by Design, available to a worldwide audience. At the time, this development of connected green spaces as a park system was a revolutionary idea. Olmsted and Vaux's plans drew national and international attention; they were displayed at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, where Olmsted declared Buffalo "the best planned city, as to its streets, public places, and grounds, in the United States, if not in the world." Find out more about this film and other LALH projects by visiting www.lalh.org North America by Design is a free, educational film series produced by LALH to foster understanding of the fine art of landscape architecture and appreciation for North America's richly varied landscape heritage. All films in the series are created in association with Florentine Films/Hott Productions, Inc. This film was made possible by generous gifts from: Susan L. Klaus John K. Notz Jr. Hodgson Russ, LLP Azby Art Fund, advised by Thomas B. Lemann Hickory Foundation, advised by Virginia James Carolyn Marsh Lindsay Elizabeth Barlow Rogers George W. Curry, FASLA Peter Pennoyer Vanguard Charitable Program, advised by Dr. and Mrs. W. Scott Peterson Natalie Shivers, AIA Walter and Nesta Spink Nancy R. Turner Lucy Ireland Weller Charles D. Burnham, ASLA Mrs. James Cooke III Deirdre Cunningham, McLallen House Carol Grove Robert A. M. Stern Architects Thomas Woodward Roy J. Zuckerberg Family Foundation, advised by Lloyd P. Zuckerberg Laurence A. Clement Kelly Comras Linda Florio David Kamp Henri J. LeClerc Jacqueline J. Melander Flora Nyland Edward and Mary Olinger Jon A. Peterson Barbara Troup Phippard Nicholas Quennell, FASLA Roy and Laurie Regozin Frances Shedd-Fisher Alida Silverman Jean Stringham in honor of Caroline Loughlin David Swinford