Olmsted wanted these areas to be “more park-like than town-like,” an effect he most certainly achieved. These parkways were designed to allow visitors to travel from one park to another without leaving the serenity of these green spaces. The original concept for the tree-lined parkways and avenues was to link the six main parks and integrate the park system with the city.
The Buffalo Olmsted Park System is composed of six parks, seven parkways, eight landscaped circles and several smaller spaces. Frederick Law Olmsted believed the purpose of green space was to “refresh and delight the eye and through the eye, mind and spirit.” Upon touring the City of Buffalo in 1868, he convinced the city’s leaders that not one park – as in New York City’s Central Park – but multiple parks would better serve Buffalo’s needs.
