SAT-B06: Revealing Seneca Village: Recognizing and Honoring Layers of History in Central Park

Saturday, November 12, 2022

2:00pm – 3:15pm PT

Location: Moscone Center, Room 211-212

1.25 PDH, LA CES/HSW, AICP, FL, NY/HSW

Lead Speaker(s)

Sara Zewde, ASLA

Principal & Assistant Professor
Studio Zewde & Harvard University
New York, New York

Speaker(s)

Christopher J. Nolan, FASLA

Principal & Chief Landscape Architect
Studio Nolan & Central Park Conservancy
New York, New York
John T. Reddick

Director of Community Engagement Projects
Central Park Conservancy
New York, New York

In 1853, 800 acres at the center of Manhattan were taken through eminent domain to create a public park. Among the displaced occupants significant were the residents of Seneca Village, a predominantly African-American community. This session examines an approach to interpretation, commemoration, and restoration of this unique history.

Learning Outcomes:

Examine the origins and foundation of Frederick Law Olmsted’s approach to landscape design as a means of advancing social purpose
Explore ideas about reconciling the philosophical underpinnings of Olmstedian notions of democratic spaces with the reality of race and place in America
Contemplate approaches to reading the landscape to inform interpretation and restoration of sites with complex and layered histories
Understand the role of community engagement in projects that embrace enduring public space needs and values along with contemporary perspectives on equity and inclusion