author
Calvert Vaux
1824–1895
Best known as the co-designer of Central Park, this English-born architect helped shape the look of some of America’s most beloved public landscapes. His work blended architecture and scenery in a way that made parks feel both grand and welcoming.
1 Audiobook
Description of a plan for the improvement of the Central Park
by Frederick Law Olmsted, Calvert Vaux
About the author
Born in London in 1824, Calvert Vaux trained as an architect before moving to the United States in 1850 to work with landscape writer and designer Andrew Jackson Downing. After Downing’s death, Vaux continued building a career that joined architecture with landscape design, bringing a thoughtful, picturesque style to houses, grounds, and public spaces.
He is most closely associated with Frederick Law Olmsted. Together they won the competition for New York City’s Central Park with their "Greensward Plan," and their partnership went on to shape other major parks, including Brooklyn’s Prospect Park and Buffalo’s park system. Vaux also designed bridges, terraces, and buildings, showing a rare ability to think about both the broad landscape and the details within it.
Vaux became an important figure in the development of American park design, arguing that cities needed beautiful, accessible green spaces for everyday life. He died in 1895, but his influence remains visible in the parks and public places that still define urban life for millions of visitors.