Spokane River-Near People's Park

Spokane River, Near People's Park, ©Dennis DeHart, 2012

Excerpts from Olmsted's Report on Spokane. (From Historylink.org)
http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8218

"The Olmsteds recognized early that this gorge "is a tremendous feature of the landscape and one which is rarer in a large city than river, lake, bay or mountain" (Olmsted).

The report began by expressing the basics of the Olmsted philosophy, which included several themes that are evident in Spokane today. First, they believed that every home, from humble to grand, should be within easy walking distance of a neighborhood park. A map of Spokane's current parks system shows parks dotted almost perfectly evenly, north to south, east to west.

Second, they believed that the more parks, the better. The Olmsteds believed that "city life ... has a decidedly depressing effect on the general health and stamina" (Olmsted). The city dweller has to put up with noise, factories, crowds and constant bustle. "Even to the well, this is tiring to the nerves," said the report. "But to those who are delicate, it often becomes a torture. After all, it is to those whose nerves are tired -- and they are a large proportion of the dwellers in a city -- that the parks are most immediately beneficial" (Olmsted)."

Note: This area was not developed until 1970, though it is a result of Olmsted's original report. All content above is from Historylink.org.