National Association for Olmsted Parks (NAOP)
“NAOP advances Olmsted principles and legacy of irreplaceable parks and landscapes that revitalize communities and enrich people’s lives.” www.olmsted.org
The National Association for Olmsted Parks (NAOP), established in 1980, is a coalition of design and preservation professionals, historic property and park managers, scholars, municipal officials, citizen activists, and representatives of numerous Olmsted organizations around the United States. Its concern is the legacy of landscape work left by Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. and the firm continued by his sons. For more than 30 years, NAOP has raised awareness of the importance of the Olmsted legacy among public officials, community leaders, landscape design professionals, and academics. NAOP encourages scholarship, publishes key reference materials, supports local park restoration, and provides technical assistance to preservation efforts. The Olmsted legacy needs a strong national advocate. Historic parks and landscapes around the country face multiple threats from development pressure, shrinking municipal budgets, and lack of understanding about the breadth and importance of the Olmsted-designed landscapes. NAOP is the managing partner of “Olmsted 200: Parks for All People,” a creative coalition to explore the many ways in which Olmsted’s values can address today’s challenges. The campaign has brought global attention to the importance of landscape architecture and Olmsted’s principles.
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