Frederick Law Olmsted Society - FLOS

01/23/2025

Our FLOS page has been closed, but you can now find us on our brand new page at Olmsted Society of Riverside! Please follow us there for the latest updates!

12/28/2024

Please join us on January 17 at 7pm at Township Hall for our annual meeting followed by a presentation from Riverside's very own Chris Neumer.

Riverside at 150: A Photographic Journey

Neumer has long been interested in shooting low light photography. The natural progression of his love was this series of 50 images highlighting the energy and spirit of Riverside on its 150th anniversary. Stealing a page from the way painter Edward Hopper highlighted everyday people in his works, Neumer only recruited local residents and workers as subjects to add an extra layer of realness to the collection of photos. The images in the series are all taken at dusk, allowing the shadows of night to mingle with lighted areas to create a sense of mystery and adventure in even the most mundane of scenes.
In his talk, Neumer will be discussing the origins of the project, how hard it is to shoot moving water with a long shutter speed and why if someone jokingly offers to put on stiletto heels and stand on top of her husband for a photo, you always say “yes.”

12/25/2024

Merry Christmas! Wishing you a joyful and peaceful holiday season filled with the spirit of community and celebration—just like Frederick Law Olmsted himself might have envisioned in the harmonious spaces he designed. Have a wonderful day! 🎄

11/28/2024

Happy Thanksgiving from the Frederick Law Olmsted Society! Wishing you a day filled with gratitude, community, and appreciation for the beauty of nature, just as Olmsted envisioned. 🦃

11/23/2024

It's that time of the year again! 2025 Annual Membership Drive is in full swing: Join or Renew Your Olmsted Membership today!

Are you joining or renewing? Simply access our website and select the Membership option to proceed.

Your membership benefits the Riverside community, landscape, and educational initiatives. 🌳

Olmstedsociety.org

11/20/2024

Riverside’s Cathy Maloney explores how Riverside's layout and design presaged today's urban planning goals of walkability, green space, public transportation access, sustainability, and resiliency. Houses in Riverside are set back from the road, sidewalks meander along gently curving roads, and public green spaces abound. Maloney shows how Riverside's leaders and residents struggled with stewardship of Olmsted's ideals by balancing competing interests in suburban development and Chicago sprawl from the 1870s to the 2020s. She details in chronological chapters how the village adapted to tragedies such as the Great Fire of 1871 and the Panic of 1873, as well as advancements in transportation, local civic life, urban policy, and environmental thought, all while staying true to the framework inherited from Olmsted and Vaux.

Olmsted's Riverside provides engaging examples of how citizen involvement can protect a community's ideals. This richly illustrated volume combines landscape architecture, regional history, and urban design to show how audacious civic planning and thoughtful conservation can provide a model for future American suburbs.

Cathy Jean Maloney is a landscape historian and author of five books on garden and environmental history, including World’s Fair Gardens: Shaping American Landscapes.

December 18, 7pm Riverside Library

Limited books will be available for purchase or bring your own copy to have it signed. Registration required. https://riversidelibrary.libcal.com/event/12872640

10/30/2024

Are there ghosts in Riverside? Thank you to our amazing tour guides for sharing some spooky Riverside tails.

Regardless of whether you believe in ghosts, the Riverside area is a hotbed of supernatural stories.

10/26/2024

We are thrilled to announce that our Ghost Tour walks are sold out! We appreciate your support and look forward to providing you with more exciting experiences in the future! 👻🎃

Just a reminder that we also offer walking tours of the north or south side of Riverside. Those tickets can be purchased on our website.

The Frederick Law Olmsted Society is dedicated to sustaining Olmsted\'s vision for Riverside for generations to come.

10/20/2024

** VOTING ENDS OCT 31ST**
We are excited to share an update to the logo contest that was launched in the beginning of the summer. We had a terrific response with 25 designs and variations submitted. It was truly inspiring to see the creativity of our community come to life. It was also extraordinary to see the different inspirations that people used to develop their concepts. As the board makes its final decision we want to give visibility to the amazing architects, designers and artists and get your feedback and thoughts as well.

Please click on the link below to see the finalist designs, the background and inspiration of these amazing artists, and the opportunity to select your top 3 favorites.🌳

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