Mount Royal, Montreal Quebec

Mount Royal, begun in 1874, was the first park that Olmsted designed after he and Calvert Vaux dissolved their partnership.

Olmsted decided that he would emphasize the areas mountainous topography.  To do this, he decided to make the mountain more mountainous through the use of exaggerated vegetation, such as shade trees at the bottom of the carriage path that climbs the mountain, so that it resembles a valley.

As the visitor went higher and higher the vegetation would get more sparse to complete the illusion of the exaggerated height.

He wished to place a grand mountain pasture and lake, but the city decided on a reservoir instead and so Olmsted planned a grand promenade around it.

Unfortunately for Olmsted and the park, the city of Montreal suffered a depression in the mid 1870s, and many of Olmsted's plans were abandoned. The carriage way was built, but it was done hastily and without regards to the original plan. None of the vegetation choices were followed and the reservoir was never built.