The Best Planned City in the World

Developing the nation’s first park system and creating a park at Niagara Falls, NY. More

In 1868 Olmsted came to Buffalo, NY and was asked to choose a site for a park. Instead, he recommended three sites to be connected by a new concept – parkways. The system he and Vaux designed became the first coordinated park system in the nation. Later Olmsted visited Niagara Falls and started the “Free Niagara” campaign, a movement to clean up, preserve and set aside parts of that landscape.

AIR DATE 6/19/14