Conversations with Olmsted: Challenges and Opportunities For Olmsted Parks
2021-11-30 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | MA
Olmsted 200 invites you to join the fourth webinar in our Conversations with Olmsted series. In this series, we examine different aspects of Olmsted’s far-reaching influence on America’s physical landscape and social fabric, exploring how best to continue his legacy of parks for all people.
Register here to join the conversation.
Parks and public spaces face more challenges and threats than ever before. In some cases, development has nearly destroyed these historic landscapes, altering them with highways, towers, and more. Unfortunately, once open spaces are gone, they’re gone forever.
In the age of the pandemic, our nation’s parks and open green spaces have served as places of healthful recreation and respite – but they are not self-sustaining, and greater use has meant greater demand for care and attention, often with far smaller budgets.
This panel discussion will be moderated by Stephanie Crockatt, executive director of the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, a member of the NAOP Olmsted Network and will explore the threats and opportunities facing Olmsted parks and what can be done to protect these natural and historic assets for future generations.
Panelists include:
Karen Mauney-Brodek, President of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy. Mauney-Brodek is working to restore and improve the Emerald Necklace’s 1,100 acres. She spearheaded the Conservancy’s 20th Anniversary celebration in 2018 and is currently leading a significant revitalization of Charlesgate Park with neighborhood group Charlesgate Alliance.
Andy Mitton, Member of the Board of Advisors, Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks. He was part of the Olmsted Legacy Task Force that compiled recommendations for the Superintendent, Seattle Parks and Recreation and the Seattle Board of Park Commissioners. The task force report is called “Rebirth of Olmsted’s Design for Equity.” Mitton is also a Principal in the landscape architecture firm, The Berger Partnership.
Rosamond Fletcher, Excutive Director of Fort Greene Park Conservancy. Fort Greene Park was designed by Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1867 and is one of five Olmsted parks in New York City. Fletcher shapes Fort Greene Park Conservancy’s vision and strategic development of its role as steward of the park. She is centering her efforts on engaging the park’s diverse community, programming the park for a range of users, and planning long-term improvements to the park’s landscape and historic structures.

Charlesgate Park Tree Lighting
2021-12-02 20:00 - 20:30 | Commonwealth Avenue Mall, 15 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02116, United States
For the first time, the trees on the Commonwealth Ave. Mall at Charlesgate Park will be lit up for the winter season!
The trees will shine emerald green to spotlight the intersection of the Emerald Necklace and Mall and bring attention to the Charlesgate Park Revitalization project. The Charlesgate trees will be lit in coordination with the rest of the Commonwealth Avenue Mall lights around 15 Commonwealth Ave. at 8PM.

Olmsted Now Public Dialogue #1 - Spatial Justice and Public-Making (with DS4SI)
2022-01-19 18:00 - 19:00 | MA
Each third Wednesday of the month, Olmsted Now invites the community to a public dialogue on shared use, shared health and shared power in parks and public spaces. These hour-long discussions are a platform to explore our bicentennial themes through the perspective of a guiding community voice.
This month’s dialogue is focused on Shared Power. Our guest speakers Lori Lobenstine and Joelle Fontaine will co-lead a conversation on Spatial Justice and Public-Making. Lori is Co-founder and Program Design Lead and Joelle is Art and Creative Placemaking Lead for Design Studio for Social Intervention (aka “DS4SI”). Rooted in Boston’s Upham’s Corner neighborhood, DS4SI’s multidisciplinary practice brings social justice, public art, civic and popular engagement interventions to public space locally, nationally and internationally. Lori and Joelle will introduce principles that guide DS4SI’s work, and in particular, their idea for how a big city-wide park event in Boston could be a model to build “connective capital” across siloed neighborhoods.
Please register at the Zoom link below. Login info will automatically be emailed once registered.

Olmsted Now Public Dialogue #2
2022-02-16 18:00 - 19:00 | MA
Each third Wednesday of the month, Olmsted Now invites all to a public dialogue on shared use, shared health and shared power in parks and public spaces. These bicentennial themes are explored through the perspectives of guiding community voices.
February’s dialogue focuses on Shared Use: “Which activities in parks and public space are welcome—or not?” Urban planner and cultural producer Anita Morson-Matra and President of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy Karen Mauney-Brodek will share insights from their work to offer public programs and navigate permits, reviews and approvals in Boston and other municipalities. Then Karen’s colleague Jamie Santuccio will introduce the proposed program Parks as Platform—monthly park events for Olmsted Now—and ask for your feedback and suggestions on which activities people would like to see. Whether you propose, provide or approve public activities, please join us to broaden this discussion—and shape this season’s program!
Please register at THIS ZOOM LINK. Registrants will receive login info via email.

Olmsted Now Public Dialogue #3
2022-03-16 18:00 - 19:00 | MA
Each third Wednesday of the month, Olmsted Now invites the community to a public dialogue on shared use, shared health and shared power in parks and public spaces. These hour-long discussions are a platform to explore our bicentennial themes through the perspective of a guiding community voice.
Join us on March 16 from 6-7 PM for a public dialogue on Shared Health, with a specific focus on food.
Click here to register for this dialogue!

Olmsteds: Landscapes and Legacies
2022-03-30 18:00 - 2022-04-02 18:00 | Salt Gallery at Boston Society for Architecture Space, 290 Congress St Suite 200, Boston, MA, 02210, United States
Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site, in partnership with the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT), will host a three-day symposium as part of Olmsted 200, the national bicentennial commemoration of the birth of Frederick Law Olmsted, social reformer and founder of American landscape architecture. The symposium will be held in Boston, home to the Emerald Necklace, Olmsted’s last great public project. Adjacent to Boston is Brookline where the Olmsted firm’s home and office resided through 1980. For Olmsted, “nothing else compares in importance to us with the Boston work…I would have you decline any business that would stand in the way of doing the Best for Boston all the time.”
Through events, education, and advocacy at the local and national levels, Olmsted 200 ensures that the legacies of the Olmsteds live on across the country by renewing public and policy commitments to the preservation and maintenance of our historic parks and places. Olmsted Now is the Greater Boston effort, an inclusive coalition that connects communities and organizations commemorating Greater Boston’s bicentennial of Brookline-based Olmsted with the “fierce urgency of now.”
Registration for Olmsteds: Landscapes and Legacies is live HERE. Learn more about the symposium at this link.

"Making Space:" Olmsted Now Public Dialogue #4
2022-04-20 18:00 - 19:30 | MA
Each third Wednesday of the month, Olmsted Now welcomes all to a public online dialogue exploring bicentennial themes: shared use, shared health and shared power in parks and public spaces. Each session tackles a “big question” about park experience through the guiding perspectives of community voices.
Join us on April 20 from 6-7:30 PM for a public dialogue on Shared Power as we grapple with the question “How can we turn the idea of ‘park equity’ into action?” Educator Stephen Lin of Mass Audubon’s Boston Nature Center & Wildlife Sanctuary in Mattapan will open discussion with former students and local colleagues about how to harness greenspace access to center youth healing in the wake of the pandemic, especially in environmental justice communities. Joelle Fontaine, Art & Creative Placemaking Lead at Design Studio for Social Intervention will introduce the equity-centered work of Olmsted Now’s Committee of Neighborhoods with the community leaders who will select and fund park programming by focusing on under-represented creatives, cultural organizers and organizations to activate underutilized parks and green spaces.
Click THIS ZOOM LINK to register.

Parks As Platform - Olmsted Park
2022-04-23 12:30 - 15:00 | Allerton Overlook, Olmsted Park, Brookline, MA, United States
April Parks As Platform: Celebrate Earth Week!
Presented with Brookline Parks and Open Space and following the morning’s Muddy River Clean-Up (part of the Annual Earth Day Charles River Clean up and the State’s Park Serve Day), enjoy music, games, tours, a food truck, activities with our friends at Culture House, and more! We will be joined by environmentally-friendly partners in celebration of Earth Week to share how we can all be great stewards of our environment! Learn more about each of the partner organizations by joining the event below.
This event is free and open to all, we hope to see you there!
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Performer – Tareq Rantisi

Tareq Rantisi is a world percussionist, composer, and educator. Initially self-taught in the Arabic music tradition, he received a B.A. in Performance from Berklee College of Music in 2011 and a Master’s from the Berklee Global Jazz Institute in 2019.His studies and practice have brought him into deep dialogue with Jazz, Afro-Cuban, Indian, West African, Brazilian, and other traditions which continue to transform his approach to music, performing, and composing. Also a seasoned educator Tareq has offered master classes, workshops, and private lessons throughout the world in collaboration with Boston College, Brandeis University, The Center for Arabic Culture, and The Arabic Music Retreat.

Bootstrap Compost (Learn more)

Bootstrap Compost is one of the forefront composting services in the northeast, servicing Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. Bootstrap effectively allows for residential, commercial, and restaurant communities to compost their organic waste. They also strive to educate community members on the composting process and how they can get involved.

Brookline Greenspace Alliance (Learn more)

The Brookline Greenspace Alliance advocates for environmentally-focused town policies, provides free learning resources to the public and and hosts community programs. The Brookline Greenspace Alliance pushes for ecologically-healthy, safe, and beautiful parks throughout Brookline.

Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site (Learn more)

The famed landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, made his home and office in Brookline, Massachusetts. His estate, which he designed in 1883, now aims to engage the public with the deep history in the property. The Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site is co-leading Olmsted Now with the Emerald Necklace Conservancy.

GrowBoston! (Learn more)

GrowBoston!: Office of Food Justice is a new office within the City of Boston and will work to increase food production throughout Boston; develop and implement innovative food production strategies; provide technical assistance to prospective and existing gardens and farms; develop food production resources for gardeners, farmers, and other residents; and coordinate with other City departments to expand citywide urban agriculture. GrowBoston will also contribute to Boston’s efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change while addressing injustices inherent in the current food system.

Muddy Water Initiative (Learn more)

The Muddy Water Initiative’s goal is to advocate for the Muddy River and its surrounding communities. Through defending and restoring the Muddy River, a defining water feature of the Emerald Necklace, the Muddy Water Initiative has made changes that benefit the ecosystems and people along the river’s banks.

Speak for the Trees (Learn more)

Speak for the Trees advocates for tree health and the tree canopy cover in Boston. Recognizing how trees can benefit environmental health, the well-being of residents, and community ties, Speak for the Trees partners with groups across Boston to learn more and defend the tree population.

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Learn more about Parks as Platform
For Olmsted Now, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy expands its annual free event series Summer on the Emerald Necklace into a shared resource for cross-neighborhood collaboration and community-generated public events from April through October 2022.
Each month, the Conservancy will collaborate with a site partner to anchor programming with extra support: securing permits, coordinating volunteers and providing amenities like signage, presentation/performance/convening space, portable utilities and restrooms, food trucks and more. The goal is to increase park access, amplify partner capacity to welcome expanded audiences and maximize impacts of diverse public offerings using the parks as platform.

Spring Fest 2022
2022-05-07 11:00 - 14:00 | Allerton Overlook, Olmsted Park, Brookline, MA, United States

InPUBLIC: Rest
2022-05-11 12:00 - 14:00 | MA
DS4SI’s very first “inPUBLIC Summer Series” is a series of events from May through August 2022 that focuses on creating experiences that provide the tools and inspiration for you to show up as your full self in public space.
On Wednesday, May 11th, inPUBLIC: Rest invites you to take a break from your routine and responsibilities of the day & rest with us in a variety of green spaces all over the city. Feel free to nap, daydream, read a book, listen to our curated soundscape or just simply exist. You deserve a break!
We provide the blankets, a peaceful soundscape, & quotes to encourage relaxation.

Location:
Rose Kennedy Greenway
Back Bay Fens
Jamaica Pond
Franklin Park (Shattuck Picnic Grove)

Want to create your own inPUBLIC: Rest experience?
Simply join us outside, wherever you are, every 2nd Wednesday of the month between 12pm – 2pm. Grab your blanket, your headphones, click on our soundscape & rest!

Parks as Platform: BAMS Fest in Franklin Park
2022-06-11 12:00 - 20:00 | Franklin Park Playstead, Circuit Drive, Boston, MA, 02121, United States
For Olmsted Now, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy expands its annual free event series Summer on the Emerald Necklace into a shared resource for cross-neighborhood collaboration and community-generated public events from April through October 2022.
Each month, the Conservancy will collaborate with a site partner to anchor programming with extra support: securing permits, coordinating volunteers and providing amenities like signage, presentation/performance/convening space, portable utilities and restrooms, food trucks and more. The goal is to increase park access, amplify partner capacity to welcome expanded audiences and maximize impacts of diverse public offerings using the parks as platform.
June Parks as Platform:
Presented with Boston Art & Music Soul Festival (BAMS Fest)
BAMS Fest triumphantly returns to Franklin Park’s Playstead for the first time since Covid-19. Experience the city’s fastest growing cultural event, founded to center and amplify Black artistry with multiple stages and artistic mediums that reflect the true diversity of Greater Boston.
BAMS Fest is a cultural movement led by Greater Boston Black and Brown artists, culture makers and creative entrepreneurs who are on the front lines of racial equity, spatial justice, and economic empowerment.

From Greensward to Putting Greens: Frederick Law Olmsted’s Influence on Golf Course Architecture
2022-06-14 13:30 - 15:00 | Franklin Park Golf Clubhouse, 1 Circuit Drive, Dorchester, MA, United States
To celebrate the US Open coming to Brookline, join Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site for a discussion on how Olmsted’s principles have influenced golf course design.
Register here
Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux’s “Greensward Plan” for Central Park both inspired the American park movement and provided the catalyst for the establishment of landscape architecture as a profession. Golf course design, whether for public or private use, combines knowledge of landscape architecture with understanding the unique requirements of a challenging game.
During US Open Week the world’s greatest golfers will compete at The Country Club, in Brookline, MA. This year we celebrate the 200th anniversary of Olmsted’s birth. Olmsted himself was a member even before the club decided to build a golf course. Join National Park Service staff from the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site and four prominent members of the American Society of Golf Course Architects for a lively discussion of how Olmsted’s principles have influenced course design and shaped the profession of golf course architecture.

Olmsted Now Public Dialogue: WHO Has Public Greenspace Been For?
2022-06-15 10:30 - 11:30 | District Hall Boston, 75 Northern Ave, Boston, MA, 02210, United States
In collaboration with King Boston’s Embrace Ideas Festival, Olmsted Now’s coalition co-organizers’ Emerald Necklace Conservancy and Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site present a free dialogue with today’s foremost scholars thinking about Boston’s park system-designer Frederick Law Olmsted at the intersection of greenspace, abolition and racial justice. Join Stephen Gray and Ethan Carr as they dig into the issues of Carr and Rolf Diamant’s book Olmsted and Yosemite: Civil War, Abolition, and the National Park Idea as they relate to the racial equity framework Gray developed for Olmsted Now: Greater Boston’s Olmsted Bicentennial. For Olmsted’s 200th, we will explore together key questions of who Boston’s and the Nation’s greenspaces have been for and how can we fully understand—and change—these narratives for the next 200 years.
The space will open at 10am for informal socializing. This free panel and audience Q&A will be recorded from 10:30-11:30, with time for attendees to continue dialogue with the speakers before the start of Embrace Ideas at the ICA Boston at noon at 100 Northern Avenue.
The recording of the presentation will be shared again for live Q&A from 6-7PM
Register for the 10:30AM session below. Register for the 6PM live Q&A by clicking here.

Parks as Platform: Fenway Porchfest in the Back Bay Fens
2022-07-09 12:00 - 16:30 | Back Bay Fens, 100 Park Drive, Boston, MA, 02215, United States
For Olmsted Now, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy expands its annual free event series Summer on the Emerald Necklace into a shared resource for cross-neighborhood collaboration and community-generated public events from April through October 2022.
Each month, the Conservancy will collaborate with a site partner to anchor programming with extra support: securing permits, coordinating volunteers and providing amenities like signage, presentation/performance/convening space, portable utilities and restrooms, food trucks and more. The goal is to increase park access, amplify partner capacity to welcome expanded audiences and maximize impacts of diverse public offerings using the parks as platform.
July Parks As Platform:
Presented with Fenway Porchfest
Fenway Porchfest is a collaborative partnership among three Fenway organizations —Fenway Community Development Organization, Fenway Civic Association, and the Fenway Alliance. It is a free music festival that takes place in a wide range of diverse outdoor spaces in the Fenway, ranging from the Verb Hotel and 401 Park to Massachusetts Historical Society to the Emerald Necklace and the MFA!

Olmsted Now Public Dialogue #8
2022-08-17 18:00 - 19:00 | MA
Each third Wednesday of the month, Olmsted Now invites the community to a public dialogue on shared use, shared health and shared power in parks and public spaces. These hour-long discussions are a platform to explore our bicentennial themes through the perspective of a guiding community voice.
Join us on August 17 from 6-7 PM for a public dialogue on Shared Power, which will feature a discussion lead by local youth who are tasked with stewarding public lands this summer. The youth will share how their experiences will impact their professional and personal legacies.
Click THIS ZOOM LINK to register.

Olmsted Now Public Dialogue #10
2022-10-19 18:00 - 19:00 | MA
Each third Wednesday of the month, Olmsted Now invites the community to a public dialogue on shared use, shared health and shared power in parks and public spaces. These hour-long discussions are a platform to explore our bicentennial themes through the perspective of a guiding community voice.
The final Public Dialogue of the Olmsted Now season is here! Join us at 6pm on Wednesday, October 19 to share images of your favorite bicentennial moments and/or live stories and accounts of what was most inspiring to you this year for Olmsted Now. What are you thankful for? What did you learn? Who did you meet? What will you take forward?

Franklin Park Virtual Public Safety Meeting
2022-11-01 18:00 - 20:00 | MA
In response to the terrible attack on a longtime park user near White Stadium and multiple reports of drug activity and encampments near the Shattuck Hospital, Franklin Park Coalition is hosting a public safety meeting with local officials and police. Please join us and share this invitation with fellow park users.
REGISTER HERE and remember, the single best way to push out negative activity in our park is positive, community, family activity! It’s such a beautiful time of year, we hope you will grab a friend and go for a walk, take your children to the playground, have a picnic, throw a frisbee, play tennis, collect acorns, look for birds, and do all the park things you love.

12TH ANNUAL STREETTALK 10-IN-1
2022-12-08 18:00 - 20:30 | Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington St, Boston, MA, 02108, United States
After a three year hiatus, 10-in-1 LivableStreets’ annual StreetTalk is back in person and we can’t wait to see you! Returning to the Old South Meeting House, we will have ten speakers on ten different topics in one location to talk about issues regarding transit advocacy, climate justice, protecting our greenways, equitable housing + land use policies, and more! Each speaker will present for seven minutes. There will be an intermission in between speakers.
This year, we will be offering a hybrid model for the event, taking place at the Old South Meeting House, of Revolutionary Spaces. A big thank you to the GBH Forum Network for creating a virtual option, and partnering with us on this event!

To attend online via Zoom — Please register here.
To attend in-person — Registration has closed for in-person attendance. Please review our StreetTalk Guidelines before joining in person to ensure a fun and safe experience for all.
To adjust your RSVP — If you RSVP’d for the in-person option, the confirmation email will have a link to change your RSVP if you would like to attend online instead.

As a reminder, doors open at 5:30pm and the event will begin promptly at 6:00pm — we encourage you to arrive early to socialize while you enjoy light refreshments and a cash bar. Stay tuned for more information about our event speakers, we hope you will join us 🙂

Tour: Frederick Law Olmsted and the Arnold Arboretum
2023-03-18 10:30 - 12:00 | Arnold Arboretum, Arborway, Boston, MA, 02130, United States
Frederick Law Olmsted, considered the father of landscape architecture, designed some 500 public spaces in North America. The Arnold Arboretum, the only arboretum he designed, is a National Historic Landmark and a model for others around the world. Join Arboretum docent Bill Beizer on a tour through the landscape. Learn about the elements of the Arboretum that best reflect Olmsted’s philosophy and approach to landscape design. Please register here.

Winter Wellness Walk
2023-03-19 13:00 - 14:00 | Arnold Arboretum, Arborway, Boston, MA, 02130, United States
REGISTER HERE
Stay connected to nature and enjoy the health benefits of a winter walk at the Arnold Arboretum. Docents will cover seasonal interest, Arboretum history, and our plant collections.
Please dress for the weather, including footwear. Roads are plowed but not salted and walks may venture onto woodland paths. After your tour, warm up with a hot drink and further conversation with your docent and Arboretum Visitor Staff.

This walk is limited to 20, please register only if you plan to come. Register just one person per form. Meet in the Visitor Center in the Hunnewell building. We will contact you for weather cancellations.
https://arboretum.harvard.edu/visit/directions-to-the-hunnewell-visitor-center/
For more information, call 617 384-5209.

The Muddy River Restoration Project: 2023 Annual Meeting of the MMOC
2023-04-26 18:00 - 20:30 | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Register Here

Join the MMOC for a celebration of this historic environmental revitalization achievement as it nears completion. Featuring presentation from Federal, State and Municipal partners, the event will also mark the birthday of visionary landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, whose urban greenspace designs have guided all aspects of the Project.

Annual Fenway Guided Bird Walk with Nature Man Mike
2023-05-14 07:30 | Back Bay Fens, 100 Park Drive, Boston, MA, 02215, United States
Join the Fenway Civic Association for its annual Bird Walk in the Back Bay Fens! Learn more at FenwayCivic.org

Spring Fest 2023
2023-05-20 11:00 - 14:00 | Allerton Overlook, Olmsted Park, Brookline, MA, United States
Join Brookline DPW at Brookline’s second-annual Spring Fest on Saturday, May 20 at Olmsted Park, Allerton Overlook from 11 AM to 2 PM. Spring Fest 2023 is a call for environmental action and DPW urges you to join as we “Fight For Nature & Act For All.” Learn about how you can contribute to a climate-resilient community, and the exciting community work that’s being done by partners such as Brookline GreenSpace Alliance, Brookline Mothers Out Front, Brookline Rotary Club, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy and many others! The event will include environmental education activities, yard games, crafting stations, a scavenger hunt, food and music.

Scheduled Activities:

11:30 am Tree ID Walk
12:00 pm Nature Trivia
1:00 pm Allerton Overlook Spring Planting

We are excited to invite you to the upcoming Environmental Education and Action event in Olmsted Park, co-sponsored by Brookline GreenSpace Alliance and Brookline Mothers Out Front. The theme of the event, “Fight for Nature & Act for All,” reflects our shared commitment to protecting and preserving the natural beauty of our parks and open spaces, while also helping us achieve our climate action goals as a community. This event will feature a range of activities designed to promote sustainability and encourage attendees to take an active role in environmental stewardship. Join us in the spirit of Olmsted as we work to protect and enhance the natural environment.
Additional Information

The closest public transportation is Riverway Station and Bus 66.
We are striving to make this a zero waste event. We kindly ask that you please bring a refillable water bottle with you.

Elma Lewis Playhouse in the Park:
2023-07-18 18:00 - 20:00 | Valley Gates, Franklin Park, Boston, MA, 02130
Presented by the Franklin Park Coalition
Honoring the legacy of pioneering arts educator Elma Lewis, Playhouse in the Park hosts local R&B, reggae and gospel artists every Tuesday night in the summer in Franklin Park!
July 18 Performer: Athene Wilson and Friends

Elma Lewis Playhouse in the Park
2023-07-25 18:00 - 20:00 | Valley Gates, Franklin Park, Boston, MA, 02130
Presented by the Franklin Park Coalition
Honoring the legacy of pioneering arts educator Elma Lewis, Playhouse in the Park hosts local R&B, reggae and gospel artists every Tuesday night in the summer in Franklin Park!
July 25 Performer: Perfect Example

Elma Lewis Playhouse in the Park
2023-08-01 18:00 - 20:00 | Valley Gates, Franklin Park, Boston, MA, 02130
Presented by the Franklin Park Coalition
Honoring the legacy of pioneering arts educator Elma Lewis, Playhouse in the Park hosts local R&B, reggae and gospel artists every Tuesday night in the summer in Franklin Park!
August 1 Performer: Caribbean Night with Glen Washington, Roots Alley Collective, and Safiya

Elma Lewis Playhouse in the Park
2023-08-08 18:00 - 20:00 | Valley Gates, Franklin Park, Boston, MA, 02130
Presented by the Franklin Park Coalition
Honoring the legacy of pioneering arts educator Elma Lewis, Playhouse in the Park hosts local R&B, reggae and gospel artists every Tuesday night in the summer in Franklin Park!
August 8 Performer: E-Water Band

Elma Lewis Playhouse in the Park
2023-08-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Valley Gates, Franklin Park, Boston, MA, 02130
Presented by the Franklin Park Coalition
Honoring the legacy of pioneering arts educator Elma Lewis, Playhouse in the Park hosts local R&B, reggae and gospel artists every Tuesday night in the summer in Franklin Park!
August 15 Performer: Con Funk Shun, national recording artist with recent hit revival by Bruno Mars

Charlesgate Revitalization Public Hearing: Bowker Overpass Bridge Superstructure Replacement and New Bridge Construction
2023-10-26 18:00 - 19:30 | MA
Register Here
A Live Virtual Design Public Hearing will be hosted on the MassDOT website to present the design for the proposed Bridge Superstructure Replacement and Widening Project, B-16-052, Bowker Overpass over Mass Pike, MBTA/CSX, and Ipswich Street in Boston.
Learn more at the MassDOT website

Dr. Ethan Carr on Boston’s Franklin Park: Olmsted, Recreation, and the Modern City
2023-11-08 18:00 - 19:00 | Boston Public Library’s Rabb Hall, 700 Boylston St, Boston, MA, 02116, United States
REGISTER HERE
Join us on Wednesday, November 8 at 6:00PM EST with Dr. Ethan Carr for a talk on his new book, Boston’s Franklin Park: Olmsted, Recreation, and the Modern City (LALH 2023), which details the history of Franklin Park from the time of peak popularity to the current era of park revival.
This talk will be held in person in Rabb Hall at the Central Library in Copley Square. Following the talk, there will be time for audience Q&A, and the program will conclude at 7:00 pm with a book signing.
About the book
Dr. Carr’s forthcoming book, Boston’s Franklin Park: Olmsted, Recreation, and the Modern City (LALH 2023), documents the design and history of Frederick Law Olmsted’s most mature expression of urban park design. In this comprehensive study, Carr affirms Franklin Park as one of great works of nineteenth-century American art. Since the 1980s, historians have described Franklin Park as unfinished, obsolete, or a casualty of changing trends in public recreation. Carr disagrees, offering a persuasive argument that the park’s decline was not a consequence of its design but of a lack of stewardship on the part of the city, an example of institutionalized racism.
About the author
Ethan Carr, FASLA, is professor of landscape architecture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. An international authority on America’s public landscapes and the author of many books, he is lead editor of The Papers of Frederick Law Olmsted: The Early Boston Years and coauthor of Olmsted and Yosemite: Civil War, Abolition, and the National Park Idea (LALH 2022).
