Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903) for decades guided the development of cities and suburbs across the United States, leaving a well-known legacy of winding parkways and urban green preserves that are enjoyed, studied, and protected today. Although he never wrote a single, comprehensive treatise explaining and defending his theories, Olmsted's plans and reports offer an opportunity to trace innovative ideas about landscape architecture and urban design. This volume collects together Olmsted's reports on major plans for parks, parkways, and park systems across the continent. Through these writings - spanning 40 years and covering work in places as diverse as Detroit, Montreal, Buffalo, New York City, Cincinnati, and Boston - Olmsted explains what qualities of scenery are important in landscape architecture, how parks should be managed, and why green spaces are crucial to city life.