Frederick Law Olmsted's Other Career

Fisher argues that Olmsted's work as a general secretary of the US Sanitary Commission might have important implications for planning and public health in the 21st century:

"But when we examine Olmsted's Sanitary Commission work in light of the history of public health, it is clear that here - just as with his foundational work in public parks - Olmsted has set an example that landscape architects might follow in the future. To see where the field might venture in the 21st century, in other words, it is illuminating to chart an often-overlooked path that Olmsted pioneered in the mid-19th century."