Olmsted 200 was front and center at the recent 2022 ASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture in San Francisco, California. As one of ten national founding partners, ASLA has played a prominent role in advancing educational programming and outreach about the work of Frederick Law Olmsted and the Olmsted firms. Indeed, John Charles Olmsted and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. were instrumental in the founding of ASLA in 1899, with John Charles Olmsted serving as the first president. The conference featured a series of programs exploring the Olmsted legacy and gave a special shout out to the bicentennial in the opening session.

In addition to conference programs, the expo brought Olmsted 200 alive as the National Association for Olmsted Parks (NAOP) and the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site (FLONHS) hosted the Olmsted Pavilion. NAOP was especially excited to introduce their new initiative for students and young professionals, Olmsted Forward, and everyone enjoyed many university table displays, inspired by Olmsted, as part of the LABash Block Party on Saturday night.


Two students from pose for a photo after writing their birthday wishes to FLO on the banner in the background.

The Olmsted Pavilion also hosted the 2022 HALS Challenge, dedicated to Olmsted landscapes. Chris Stevens of the National Park Service announced four winners and NAOP President & CEO Dede Petri presented three additional awards for exceptional documentation of Terwilliger Parkway (Job No. 02642), Lawrenceville School (Job No. 00052), and Hills and Dales, Dayton, OH (Job No. 03121). Immediately following the ceremony, Lucy Lawliss, FASLA, offered insights on a groundbreaking Olmsted survey by the State of Connecticut. Both presentations will be available on our YouTube channel soon.

Thanks to our friends at the East Bay Regional Parks District, NAOP visited Mountain View Cemetery (Job No. #09685) and Tilden Regional Park while in the Bay Area. The tours were followed by dinner and a lecture on Olmsted in California. You can learn more about Frederick Law Olmsted Jr’s vision for these parks here: Celebrating 86 Years of the East Bay Regional Park District

On the final night of the conference, NAOP joined attendees at the ASLA President’s Dinner, with Big Head Fred greeting guests such as ASLA President Eugenia Martin, FASLA, and ASLA CEO Torey Carter-Conneen. NAOP was proud to receive ASLA’s prestigious Olmsted Medal for its “environmental leadership, vision, and commitment to safeguarding the natural heritage of future generations.”


ASLA CEO Torey Carter-Conneen and 2022 Council of Fellows Scholarship recipient Naomi Bailey pose with Big Head Fred at the ASLA President's Dinner.

See a sampling of photos from the weekend here— and keep an eye out for more details in NAOP’s upcoming e-newsletter. Join our newsletter!