April marks the 200th anniversary of Frederick Law Olmsted’s birth. To celebrate, we’re exploring the deeper legacy of this pioneering figure—designer, planner, educator, reformer, advocate, activist, inventor, innovator and enduring influencer. During this program, guest speaker Charles Birnbaum will chart the rise of the Olmsted renaissance in the mid-1960s during both the height of Modernism and the waning years of the Olmsted firm’s practice. This renewal of interest in his work began with Man and Nature: the Olmsted Exhibition at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design (GSD) on the centennial of New York City’s Central Park. Diving deep into the meaning of the Olmsted renaissance, Birnbaum’s lecture will conclude with a call to action for the next generation of researchers, educators and designers, recognizing that the deeper they go, the more relevant Olmsted’s legacy becomes.