For Generations To Come

As the co-creator of Central Park, Frederick Law Olmsted held fast to a vision for a park that could host all people—young and old, rich and poor—long into the future. He endeavored to create something that wasn't so good for his reputation, sanity, or stress level but could serve everyone for generation after generation. In a world that often values immediate results over the kinds that can last, Olmsted's long-range thinking helped turn a largely untamed 843 acres on Manhattan Island into the urban oasis it is today.

In a letter to his son many decades after Central Park opened, he said:

"I have all my life been considering distant effects and always sacrificing immediate success and applause to that of the future. In laying out Central Park, we determined to think of no result to be realized in less than forty years."

The short film, “For Generations to Come”, delves into the personal journey of Frederick Law Olmsted. It begins in the early days of Central Park, when it was a blank canvas and Olmsted was a young, untested landscape architect. It then follows his dream's realization some forty years later. The film uses flashbacks to show the challenges of those early years, and even further back in his story, we witness the personal discovery that led Olmsted to trust in the kind of results that only time can achieve. His story presents a challenge we can all relate to: whether to focus on the small successes of now or to devote our energies toward a future legacy.

A note from the team about Central Park

Central Park’s creation was a remarkable feat of vision and perseverance, but it came at a significant human cost. Seneca Village, a vibrant community of about 1,600 people, served as a haven for many predominantly African American families. Tragically, this community was displaced by the city of New York to make way for what we now know as Central Park.

It is important to remember the stories and hardship of the people who were uprooted in the creation of this park. We encourage you to learn more about the layered history of Central Park.

• Vox video | “The lost neighborhood under New York's Central Park”
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdsWYOZ8iqM

• Vox article | “The lost neighborhood under New York’s Central Park”
  https://www.vox.com/2020/1/20/21070883/central-park-seneca-village

• NY Times article | “The Death of the Black Utopia”
  https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/28/opinion/seneca-central-park-nyc.html

• The Park and the People by Roy Rosenzweig and Elizabeth Blackmar
  https://a.co/d/fuo9rlh