PITTSBURGH : Main Thoroughfares And The Down Town District Improvement Necessary To Meet The City's Present And Future Needs Fredrick Law Olmsted
Pittsburgh, PA: The Commission on City Planning, 1911. 1st Edition. 8vo. Very Good+. Item #18922
A beautiful 1911 report from the most accomplished landscape architect of the 19th century, complete with large fold-out color map of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
"While profit captivated the minds of Pittsburgh’s most influential figures, renowned architect Frederick Law Olmsted was brought in to help with the pollution crisis. Famed for his trademark contribution to New York City’s majestic Central Park, Olmsted had an unrivaled talent for enhancing the environmental conditions of metropolitan areas. His love affair with nature guided him down the path of landscape urbanism – a term loosely used to describe “greening up” cityscape environments, for the sake of inspiring outdoor activity. Olmsted’s love affair with nature lasted throughout his life.
"On his first trip to Pittsburgh, he paid a visit to Squirrel Hill. There, he developed an uncanny attraction for the muddy waters of Nine Mile Run, a sewage-ridden stream trailing to the Three Rivers Point, downtown.
"According to Michael Kraft and Daniel Mazmanian, authors of “Toward Sustainable Communities: Transition and Transformations in Environmental Policy,” Olmsted’s reputation as a “pioneer architect” brought him to the notice of the Pittsburgh Civic Commission, composed of business and professional leaders of the time.
"In 1911, he shared his aspirations for improving the city’s then-shameful environmental state, starting with his hope to save Nine Mile Run. Olmsted considered the land surrounding Nine Mile Run as an escape from downtown’s dark, urban ambiance. Once restored to health and beauty, he believed it would offer a great deal of energy to locals.
"Unfortunately, with commercialism, urbanization, and money as the city’s top priorities, Olmsted never lived to see his dreams for Pittsburgh come to life. And it wasn’t until over a century later that the largest free-flowing stream in the East End was finally granted the attention it deserved." - Off the Bluff
Brown cloth. Profusely illustrated with black-and-white historic photographs, line drawings, charts, and illustrations. 165pp + index. Large folding map at center. Square tight binding. Clean interior, save for previous signature to front endpaper. Mild rubbing and edge wear to binding. Fold-out map with pinholes at fold intersections and a closed tear repaired on front with conservation tape. Presents handsomely in a clear, archival mylar dust jacket.
Price: $275.00