Designing America: The Life and Work of Frederick Law Olmsted

Join best-selling author Witold Rybczynski as he returns to ON CITIES to delve into the extraordinary life and groundbreaking work of Frederick Law Olmsted. Hailed as a pioneer in landscape architecture, Olmsted crafted some of America’s most iconic landscapes, including New York’s Central Park and the Emerald Necklace in Boston. Discover how Olmsted's diverse formative experiences in farming, writing, reporting and traveling laid the foundation for his unparalleled career. Explore how his visionary designs came to epitomize 19th-century America and continue to captivate and inspire us today. Tune in this Friday, January 12th, at 11:00 AM EST / 8:00 AM PST on the Voice America Variety Channel to uncover the fascinating story of Olmsted’s life and the enduring legacy of his landscapes; and connect to all previous episodes of ON CITIES on Apple iTunes, Spotify or your favorite podcast platform. https://www.voiceamerica.com/show/4119/on-cities

Witold Rybczynski is a writer, critic, professor and architect. He is the author of more than 20 award winning books ranging in subjects from: The History of the Chair to the History of the Screwdriver, to an account of the Life and Work of Frederick Law Olmstead, as well as numerous books on Architecture. He has written articles for the Atlantic and the New York Times and served as an architectural critic for Saturday Night, Wigwag and Slate. Witold also practiced as a registered architect and is the Emeritus Professor of Urbanism at the University of Pennsylvania and served on the US Commission of Fine Arts from 2004 to 2012. His latest book, The Story of Architecture takes us on a journey from the Stone Age to the present, guiding us through the timeless practice of Architecture in the description of a little over 100 buildings.