SAN JOSE, Calif.—Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio presented the film “The Olmstead Legacy” at the San Jose council chamber Monday night followed by a Q&A session with city officials.
The Olmstead Legacy takes the audience through the life of legendary landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted, who held the following vision:
“It is one great purpose of the Park to supply to the hundreds of thousands of tired workers, who have no opportunity to spend their summers in the country, a specimen of God’s handiwork that shall be to them, inexpensively, what a month or two in the White Mountains or the Adirondacks is, at great cost, to those in easier circumstances,” quoted Olmstead during the film.
Olmstead’s first project was New York’s Central Park that he designed and constructed with Calvert Vaux. At the time when the first section of the park was opened in 1858, nobody knew if Olmstead’s vision would be shared by the masses.
Central Park was a resounding success, as people came in droves to the park. Thus, the beginning of America’s parks was born.
So what is the Olmstead Legacy? Albert Balagso, the Director of Recreation & Neighborhood Services for the City of San Jose, could not have said it better in his speech after the film showing.
“Parks are for people and it’s often passion that drives their creation,” explained Balagso.
Olmstead’s commission of over 500 parks in America by the end of his life validates how individuals can impact society on a large scale.
Oliverio is no Olmstead, but in addition to showing the film, he led a volunteer effort and revitalized the rose garden within his district.
“In my district we had the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden which was completely disheveled and changed the rules and allowed volunteers to come into the parks, and we have a massive volunteer effort… It’s been a very good thing, so that really came from the augmentation from volunteers.”
Leslee Hamilton, the Executive Director at the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy also spoke after the film and urged people to go and enjoy the three-mile-long Guadalupe River Park.
“Parks and open space is a big deal and if it is a big deal than you need to raise awareness that it is,” said Oliverio to The Epoch Times.
The Olmstead Legacy takes the audience through the life of legendary landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted, who held the following vision:
“It is one great purpose of the Park to supply to the hundreds of thousands of tired workers, who have no opportunity to spend their summers in the country, a specimen of God’s handiwork that shall be to them, inexpensively, what a month or two in the White Mountains or the Adirondacks is, at great cost, to those in easier circumstances,” quoted Olmstead during the film.
Olmstead’s first project was New York’s Central Park that he designed and constructed with Calvert Vaux. At the time when the first section of the park was opened in 1858, nobody knew if Olmstead’s vision would be shared by the masses.
Central Park was a resounding success, as people came in droves to the park. Thus, the beginning of America’s parks was born.
So what is the Olmstead Legacy? Albert Balagso, the Director of Recreation & Neighborhood Services for the City of San Jose, could not have said it better in his speech after the film showing.
“Parks are for people and it’s often passion that drives their creation,” explained Balagso.
Olmstead’s commission of over 500 parks in America by the end of his life validates how individuals can impact society on a large scale.
Oliverio is no Olmstead, but in addition to showing the film, he led a volunteer effort and revitalized the rose garden within his district.
“In my district we had the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden which was completely disheveled and changed the rules and allowed volunteers to come into the parks, and we have a massive volunteer effort… It’s been a very good thing, so that really came from the augmentation from volunteers.”
Leslee Hamilton, the Executive Director at the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy also spoke after the film and urged people to go and enjoy the three-mile-long Guadalupe River Park.
“Parks and open space is a big deal and if it is a big deal than you need to raise awareness that it is,” said Oliverio to The Epoch Times.
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