The Olmsted Network’s 2026 Annual Conference—The Power of Connection: Shaping Resilient Public Landscapes—will convene park leaders, designers, advocates, funders, policymakers, and practitioners from across the country to explore how connection shapes resilient public landscapes.
Set against the backdrop of Portland’s renowned park system and enduring Olmsted legacy, this year’s conference examines the relationships that sustain public spaces—linking people to parks, history to innovation, and vision to stewardship.
As public landscapes face mounting pressures from climate change, funding constraints, public health needs, and evolving community expectations, the conference offers a timely forum for collaboration and problem-solving. Through panels, roundtables, and site visits, participants will exchange ideas, strengthen partnerships, and gain practical strategies to support the future of public spaces.
Grounded in the principles of Frederick Law Olmsted while looking firmly toward the future, the conference invites participants to learn from the communities and environments of the Pacific Northwest and to experience connection in action: between parks and policy, design and equity, and climate response and cultural stewardship.