John Olmsted began his career at his father's firm, where he was later joined by his younger half-brother Frederick. After their father retired, the two took over leadership, establishing the firm as Olmsted Brothers, although Frederick was the "driving force" in the company. They each contracted separately for some projects. Olmsted expressed his design philosophy of integrated park systems into planning projects in such cities as
Portland, Maine;
Portland, Oregon;
Seattle and
Spokane, Washington;
Dayton, Ohio, and
Charleston, South Carolina. In these cities, he pioneered his comprehensive planning philosophy of integrating civic buildings, roads, parks, and
greenspaces into livable urban areas. Olmsted also designed individual parks in
New Orleans;
Watertown, New York; and
Chicago, Illinois. His work in park design led to commissions for numerous institutions such as school campuses, civic buildings, and state capitals, as well as designs for large residential areas, including roads and schools. His work in comprehensive planning for the communities surrounding industrial plants and factories is considered especially noteworthy. In all his work, John Olmsted retained a sensitivity to the natural beauty of the site, including its views, vistas, and greenways. He wanted to ensure that communities and public areas must be comfortable and inviting. He favored modest, informal structures in a naturalistic setting to large, imposing structures. His father used him as an assistant in designing landscapes for the
1893 Chicago World's Fair. The younger Olmsted had primary responsibility for the 1906
Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in
Portland, Oregon, and the 1909
Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition. In 1899, John Olmsted was a founding member and first president of the
American Society of Landscape Architects. ==Selected works==