Advisory Council Board of Trustees National Association of Olmsted Parks Partners Staff About the Conservancy... The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy (the Conservancy) is a not-for-profit, membership-based, community organization. Beginning as the Friends of the Olmsted Parks in 1978, it entered a public/private partnership with the City of Buffalo in 1995. Through a City-County-Conservancy agreement that became effective on July 1, 2004, it became the first not-for-profit organization in the nation to manage a park system. Our Mission The Conservancy's mission is to broaden awareness of, appreciation for, and investment in Buffalo's Olmsted Park System (the System) in order to enhance, restore and maintain this cultural treasure for the benefit of current and future generations. The System includes 6 major parks, 8 connecting parkways, 9 circles and 7 smaller spaces Art & Nature Frederick Law Olmsted is America's first and greatest landscape architect. He once said, "A park is a work of art, designed to produce certain effects upon the minds of men." His system of parks and parkways in Buffalo is historic because it is the first of its kind in the nation and represents one of his largest bodies of work. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the System consists of six major parks, their connecting parkways and circles, and several smaller spaces. Today, it comprises 75% of the city's parkland. In the late 1800s, visionary citizens brought Olmsted to Buffalo. It was here that Olmsted, inspired by Joseph Ellicott's radial street layout, designed his first system of parks and parkways, and proclaimed Buffalo to be "the best designed city in the country, if not the world." During the 1901 Pan American Exposition, Buffalo was celebrated not only as the City of Light, but the City of Trees. Urban Value As early as the 1850's, Olmsted justified the purchase of land for New York City's Central Park by noting that the rising value of adjacent properties would produce enough new tax revenue to pay for the investment. By 1864, Olmsted documented a net return of $55,880 in additional annual tax revenues. Just think of the potential economic development opportunities for Western New York with a revitalized Buffalo Olmsted Park System! As recent studies at Yale University have found, urban nature areas have proven to reduce societal stress, moderate temperatures, purify air, prevent soil erosion and protect water sources. This is in addition to neighborhood connection, improved quality of life and increased property values for park community residents. Today, cities across America are discovering what Buffalo knew a century ago - quality urban parks and greenways are vital to a city's quality of life and to its economic success. The Buffalo Olmsted Park System creates a unique urban landscape that integrates the city, providing common ground and connectivity among the neighborhoods. New Ground In 2004, the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy entered a groundbreaking partnership with the City of Buffalo, Erie County and the Community that made the Conservancy the official stewards of the Buffalo Olmsted Park System, overseeing its management, operations and maintenance. The Conservancy is the first not-for-profit in the nation to manage a park system. Through the development of a 20-year Management and Restoration plan with guidance of its community-based Advisory Council, the Conservancy's experienced and professional staff is now revolutionizing the way common ground is cared for in Buffalo. Revolutionary Results In a plan modeled after Central Park Conservancy's highly successful Zone Management System, the Conservancy has broken the entire Olmsted Park System into a series of 10-50 acre zones. A seasonal zone gardener is assigned to every zone. Each zone gardener is responsible for everything within the assigned area, from trash pick up to bench repair; from working with volunteers to plantings. This revolutionary urban parks management plan brings accountability and pride in ownership to the parks. Public feedback and participation is key to its success. Building Success Keeping its activities mission-focused and community-based is the key to the Conservancy's success. Success has brought strength. In 2000 the Conservancy defended Front Park and Porter Avenue from an encroaching transportation project. In 2003, it successfully advocated that the Scajaquada Expressway be replaced with a calmer, more beautiful parkway. In 2004, it explained the value of implementing a revolutionary urban parks management plan that is now in place. Victories like these that improve both parks and neighborhoods have empowered the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy to become an important advocate for Western New York. The Conservancy continues to work towards creating visible and positive changes in this community that will improve the quality of life in our region. Look for more projects in the parks in upcoming months as well updates on large urban planning initiatives. Home     About     Park System     Photo Gallery     Master Plan     News     Activities     Support Us     Store     Contact Copyright © Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy

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