The City Beautiful Movement

What we know today as The City Beautiful Movement originated back in 1893 at the Worlds’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Which was originally a 400th year anniversary of the landing of one Christopher Columbus in America. The exposition was held from May 1, 1893 until October 30th, 1893. They layout of the exposition itself was designed by Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmsted. Burnham was an American born architect and urban designer.Olmsted was a landscape architect. Journalist, and public administrator. The exposition was to them a layout of what they believed a city's should be. Artist and musicians were all featured in the exhibits which covered more than 600 acres. More then 27 million people attended the exposition form over 44

different countries. Where world from predominantly neoclassical Architects were displayed.

The City Beautiful Movement emerged as a response to the World’s Columbian Exposition. The fair deeply impacted the way Americans saw urban landscapes and took the unites states tones heights in terms of architectural design. The fundamental ideas expressed at the fair was that the city was no longer a symbol of economic development and industrialization, but could be seen as enhancing the aesthetic environment of its inhabitants. Artists and architects were deeply influenced by the beautiful designs at the fair upon returning to their cities. These artist than took notice at the austere and cluttered landscapes in their own cities.

Once visitors retuned to their cities from and they realized that it was essential to the public welfare of the people to take heed of the urban landscape.

During the peak of the industrial revolution, with all the new technological advances little to no attention was paid to the visual elements of urban cites. Smoke billowed from factories, dirt sooted the buildings, and the streets were merely symbols of progress. Many problems arose in cities as a result of the industrial revolution . The tenement houses of the time were a substandard multi family dwelling. Usually old and occupied by the poor. With poor sanitation, air and sewage system all contributed to the problems of urban living. These neighborhoods were not only extremely crowded but also dangerous. According to Riis Jr, (1970) “Bodies of young children show up on the rivers, who no one seems to know anything about.” These tenements became a prime location for crime and the alleys became extremely dangerous. The influx of immigrants filled these tenements as many traveled to the United States for work. City planners quickly designed these structures to house them. Cramming entire families into one room apartments and sharing a single bathroom with other families on the floor. These living conditions were described as disgusting and vile and what city Beautiful planners would eventually plan to eliminate.The city Beautiful movement emerged at a time in United States history when the country's urban population

first began to outnumber its rural population.

The chaotic approach to sanitation, pollution, and traffic found in most big American cities alike is how the city beautiful movement Gained both financial and social support The idea was to arise from the slums and create a new image of the city. Many cities embarked on public building and art projects in order to beautify their cities.

The 1901 to 1902 Senate park commission consisted of four members Daniel Burnham. Charles Mckim, August St Gaudens and Frederick Law Olmsted. One of the pivotal contributors to the movement is Charles follen Mckim. Charles was an American Beaux-arts architect. He studied Neaux-art in Paris after graduating from Harvard. At the beginning of his career he was primarily know for informal summer houses. Although his legacy lives on as a Beaux-arts architect. With noticeable work such as the Boston Public Library (1887) and several works in New York City such as Columbia University (1893) and New York Penn Station. Another notable contributor is Augustus Saint-Gaudens an American sculptor of the Beaux-art generation. Gaudens received much success and praise for his monuments commemorating heroes of the American civil war. Along with Olmsted and Burnham they formed the senate park commissions. These combined artists formulated a vision and willingness to address local needs. Their deep and enduring commitment alongside tactical shrewdness gave them all the government support needed. All of these considerations together allowed them to establish the importance of senate park commission plan.

Their plan for Washington D.C, ranks among the most significant urban plans in American history. Its elaboration of city making ideas then in the United States made it a benchmark for modern urbanism and triggered a national city planing movement. This idea of comprehensive city planning, was all but unknown in the United States in the 1900s. These plans systematically tackled public planning for existing cities and focused on water supply, sewerage system, and public parks.

Many contributed, but arguably the most intellectual leader of the American city planing movement (City beautiful movement) was Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.

After Graduating from Harvard in 1894 Frederick became a landscaper Architect for the Boston Metropolitan park commission. Where he served from 1898 to 1920. His active involvement with urban planing began when he was appointed as on of the four members of the senate park commissions. During the First World War Frederick was the manager of town planning in the U.S housing corporation. Than form 1926 to 1932 he became a member of the national capital park and planning commission. When the American city planing institute in 1917 was formed they elected Olmsted as their first president. Olmsted was also a member of the advisory committee on city planning and

zoning.

Olmsted helped design the innovative forest hills gardens project in queens and the industrial town of Torrance in California. He also prepared plans for cities such as Detroit, Utica,Boulder, New Haven and Pittsburgh. Olmsted became leader in city planning in the early twentieth century and began to influence other architects in British and British commonwealth countries like South Africa, Australia , New Zealand and India. Many cities today and national landmarks were designed by Frederick Olmsted. His vision of a better life and a more beautiful city starting coming to life for him. Thanks to the support he was given he was able to make positive changes in society. Cleaning up the slums and creating parks and playgrounds all in all creating a more peaceful living environment for the community.

Olmsted believed that the main framework of any city plan is the transportation system, including in that term the public ways, both of local and of the general importance, the street railways, and the rapid transit railway. Another principal matter was the selection of land for parks and playgrounds. Olmsted stressed the progress of communities and the convenience, economy, and the general satisfaction in which the people that occupy the community can do their work and enjoy their lives. This is why he stressed a system for the movement of people and commodities.

As the economy grows the increase in the volume of the traffic grows with it. With this the distance traveled and the desirable speed of movement, enormously multiplies. Olmsted saw this and knew changed had to be made to adjust to the times. Their was a burden placed on communities with lack of economical correlation between the various means of transportation, as well as by its deficiencies in each one of them. Olmsted saw the grand scheme of things and how prosperous it would be to make positive changes in transportation. He saw how easier it would make life for everyone as well as the economic growth and job opportunities. He knew someone had to make it a point to provide for a better means of
Communication.

Considering all of his contributions to city planning Olmsted is most know for his work in parks. Where he saw the needs of every age group and tried to incorporate something for all in these recreation grounds. Little children in sand piles and upon the lawn in shallow wading

pools. Or young boys and girls in more active games and gymnastic exercises. Also for the older and less active a few pleasant shaded walks and benches to stroll and sit upon. Alongside that Sanitary accommodation that should be kept to a standard of cleanliness.

Olmsted impact on the landscape architecture movement began with his impact in New York. With his design of Central Park. His design integrated the urban aspects of New York City with the aesthetic measures of nature. This major project was Olmsted first success. He believed that reincorporating nature on cities would have positive Social impact. This park originally 778 acres until Olmsted won a design competition to improve and expand the park and is now 843 acres. This 843 acre park is located in the middle upper Manhattan, New York. The park was designated a national historic landmark. This park was the beginning of the city beautiful movement as it quickly changed the lives of New Yorkers. Giving people a place to go to on the weekends and sort of an escape from the big city. This Park immediately gave New Yorkers a place to relax, spend time with families, and participate in events and competitions. The success of Central Park helped Olmsted gain credibility and continue his work.

Other noticeable contributions in the life and career of Frederick Law Olmsted are the Chicago world fair ,which many believe would of not succeeded without him. He also designed the campuses to many colleges such as Stanford, Yale, UC Berkley , the university of Chicago and countless others. Olmsted also designed suburbs where he focused on increasing transportation efficiency with organic curvilinear Streets.

Olmsted pioneered a new method of architecture which reflected the value of the expanding urban population. This new method referred to as landscape architecture eventually became what we know today as the city beautiful movement. Olmsted’s impact on the movement began with his design for Central Park in New York. Overall Olmsted work showed us the beautification of cities through nature. The idea that nature should be preserved is an important part of the city beautiful movement.

In summary During a time where living conditions were second to industries and factories. Cities were unpleasant and unsafe, many families were living in very small apartments sharing bathrooms and in the middle of crime and terror. Aims of the city Beautiful movement include eliminating the slums of the towns and creating a more livable community. Adding elements of nature and improving sanitary conditions along with a better sewage system. Architects worked hard to design new buildings and landmark to improve the image of the city itself. Making it more inviting and pleasant. The organization of the Chicago exposition set the ideas and framework for the movement to take off. Thanks to the City beautiful movement we are fortunate to have wider streets and national landmarks to distinguish our city and give us more fresh air and space to enjoy our cities. This wasn't only an architectural movement but a social movement in the life changing impact it had on the members of its communities. This was movement to not only make a city more beautiful but also more efficient. Thanks to Architects like Olmsted we can now enjoy the fruits of their labor and live in more beautiful efficient cities.