A visionary call to action, Ten Thousand Central Parks reimagines the story of New York’s most iconic green space as a blueprint for bold climate solutions. In the mid-19th century — amid war, poverty and pollution — Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux transformed a barren, chaotic landscape into an 843-acre refuge that provided jobs, beauty and hope. Their radical experiment in urban renewal became America’s first great public works project, proving that even in turbulent times, cities can be reinvented.
Today, with climate disasters reshaping our world, author Morris argues that Central Park is more than history — it’s a model for the future. Its 18,000 trees absorb nearly a million pounds of carbon dioxide each year, demonstrating the power of nature-based design to heal and inspire. Urgent yet optimistic, Ten Thousand Central Parks invites readers to imagine the next wave of transformative urban green spaces — and to help build them.
