Today's lecture focuses on the history of urban parks. Central Park in New York, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, opened in 1858. However, it wasn't the first public park in the United States. That honor goes to Boston Common, which was established in 1634 as a grazing area for cows. Over time, it became a public space for recreation. Interestingly, the design of Central Park was influenced by Birkenhead Park in England, which opened in 1847 and was the first publicly funded park in the world. Olmsted visited it and was impressed by its naturalistic style.