A new report and exhibition inspecting the state of some of the most at-risk designs by Fredrick Law Olmsted and his successor firms have been released by The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) in honor of the storied landscape architect’s 200th birthday.

This year’s Landslide report has identified twelve Olmsted projects in nine states and Canada that are under threat of a range of challenges including climate change, maintenance delays, and the overall lack of funding.

“Landslide 2022 shows us that while the appreciation and value for Olmsted-designed landscapes in general continues to increase, some landscapes have been less fortunate. Our intent with this report is to foster greater awareness and curiosity about this exceptional legacy, and to encourage a stronger shared responsibility for its future,” said Charles A. Birnbaum, the TCLF’s president and CEO, in a preview.

Among the projects highlighted are his son’s multiple designs for the California State Parks System; the 543-acre Genesee Valley Park in Rochester, NY; and the 125-year-old Andrew Jackson Downing Park in Newburgh that was created pro bono in recognition of the noted horticulturist, designer, and author and completed by two Olmsteds (Frederick Law, Sr., and stepson John Charles) alongside their longtime business partner Calvert Vaux and his only child, who was named after Downing. 

The exhibition also coincides with the TCLF’s new digital guide and 344-page illustrated hardcover companion titled Experiencing Olmsted: The Enduring Legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted's North American Landscapes co-authored by Arleyn Levee and Dena Tasse-Winter and published this month by Timber Press.

The TCLF will also convene its second Oberlander Prize Forum II: Landscape Activism on October 28th at Dallas' Nasher Sculpture Center. The full Landslide 2022 report can be accessed here. More information about the annual program is also available by following the link to the TCLF's website.