Belle Isle

Belle Isle: After One Year (1884) is a book written by Frederick Law Olmsted, an American landscape architect and writer. The book is a detailed account of Olmsted's experience designing and implementing a park on Belle Isle, an island in the Detroit River. Olmsted was hired by the city of Detroit in 1883 to transform the island into a public park, and his work on Belle Isle is considered one of his most significant achievements.In Belle Isle: After One Year, Olmsted describes the challenges he faced in designing the park, including the island's uneven terrain and the need to balance the desires of various stakeholders, such as the city government, local residents, and visitors. He also discusses the various features he incorporated into the park, such as a botanical garden, a conservatory, and a zoo.Throughout the book, Olmsted emphasizes the importance of creating public spaces that are accessible to all members of society, regardless of their social status or economic means. He also discusses the role of parks in promoting physical and mental health, as well as their potential to foster a sense of community and social cohesion.Overall, Belle Isle: After One Year is a fascinating account of one of America's most renowned landscape architects at work, and a testament to the enduring value of public parks and green spaces.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.