Brookline A Legacy of Landscapes
JOE GELLER , FASLA
Olmsted Park , Brookline Photo | Brookline Parks & Open Space
As all Massachusetts landscape architects know , the Town of Brookline holds a special place in our profession ’ s heart . There , above the Brookline Reservoir , sits Fairsted — the grand estate on Green Hill was the Olmsteds ’ home and office , and the Olmsted firm had a significant influence on the Town ’ s parks and planning . In 1914 , the Town ’ s first Planning Board was established , with Frederick Law Olmsted , Jr .— son of the designer of the Emerald Necklace Park System and co-author of the nation ’ s first planning legislation — serving as Chairman . The father-son Olmsted legacy helped guide the evolution of planned neighborhoods with pocket parks , larger community parks , and green boulevards in Brookline , as noted by landscape designer and writer Andrew Jackson Downing in his 1841 edition of Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening : “ The whole of this neighborhood of Brookline is a kind of landscape garden , and there is nothing in America of the sort , so inexpressibly charming as the lanes which lead from one cottage , or villa , to another .”
The diversity of character apparent in every aspect of Brookline ’ s community life is reflected in its parks and open space system . The network of parks range from grand , historic parks and private estates to neighborhood parks , small pocket parks , and gathering places in commercial areas . Brookline is home to the country ’ s oldest working farm , dating back to the 17th century . In 1871 , Brookline became the first town to purchase land dedicated for municipal playground purposes ( Brookline Avenue and Cypress Playground ). The oldest collection of European beech trees in the United States can be found in Brookline . Additionally , Brookline was the inspiration of and home to one of the eco-founders of the Massachusetts Audubon Society , Minna Hall . For a community of only 6 square miles , surrounded by the City of Boston on three sides , it is impressive that Brookline manages to maintain over 620 acres of public open spaces — an astonishing almost 14 % of its area . As a lifelong resident and former selectman , I ’ ve seen how the Town has embraced this legacy of landscape and continues to support , preserve , and promote the important role of green space .
A Tale of Two Towns ?
With town and city lines constantly changing through the 1700s and 1800s , Brookline never centered itself around the traditional New England town green . Rather , parks emerged in various shapes and sizes as Brookline ’ s neighborhoods developed , leaving us with the fascinating and charming variety that still exists today .
The south side of Brookline , where I grew up , was largely developed after World War II . Parks were few and far between as the planning process primarily focused on housing , organized into subdivisions . Large open spaces , like the Country Club and Larz Anderson Park , became — and still are — the most significant green spaces .
Contrast that to North Brookline , one of our nation ’ s first streetcar suburbs . North Brookline ’ s direct relationship to what would become the MBTA system meant a much more urban , dense approach to development and , thus , park space . Rather than the large shared spaces of South Brookline , North Brookline ’ s parks evolved among and around the densely packed neighborhoods , as courtyard parks within housing complexes , gardenesque hidden jewels , playgrounds , landscaped paths , and , of course , the Emerald Necklace .
8 BSLA