How a Little Park in England Changed New York Forever

When the New York City authorities approved the construction of the vast, expansive Central Park in the 1850s, their aim was to create an iconic, picturesque public space that could rival the best private parks in the world. The winning design - by Fred Olmsted and Calvert Vaux - stood out because it didn't resemble other public or private spaces. It shunned symmetry in favour of organic lines. It did away with huge greens in favour of several smaller ones. And it had bodies of water that looked and felt like they'd been there forever. They introduced rockeries, hills and valleys, and created a park that was juxtaposed to the grid-like street system of the rest of Manhattan. Today Central Park is the most visited attraction in the city - a green oasis in the midst of all the concrete and steel. But few recognise that Olmsted's ideas were influenced by a visit he had made several years earlier, to a tiny public park in the North of England. This was Birkenhead Park - the first municipal public park in the world. ======================================== Facebook: @BeeHereNowUK Instagram: @olliet_uk Support me on Patreon for added extras and exclusive content:   / beeherenow   If you like the video and want to show some support, how about buying me a brew. Thanks! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Beeherenow Subscribe for more world-changing Northern history.