ABSTRACT
In 1963, Central Park was awarded National Historic Landmark status and in 1974 it received designation as New York City's first scenic landmark. It was New York's well-publicized achievement that brought the value of all parkland to our national consciousness and indirectly inspired the preservation of our state and national natural treasures. In an unprecedented call to action in 1980, private citizens came to the park's rescue through a groundbreaking public-private partnership between the City of New York and the not-for-profit Central Park Conservancy. In 1998 the City of New York signed the first of three management contracts with the Central Park Conservancy to officially manage, restore and maintain Central Park. Today, through that successful partnership, Central Park has never been more beautiful or better managed in its 160-year history than it is today, and parks throughout the world use the Central Park model for the restoration of their urban parks.
