Between 1857 and 1876 the landscape architect Frederic Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, a British-trained architect, after a scientific assessment, transformed the bare land that could have become 150 city blocks into a naturalistic landscape. In spite of a lack of upkeep and the loss of almost all its original botanical material, the park has never lost the splendor of its original concept. The transformation the team performed is described, with explanations of the ideas that inspired the men, and the factions that over time either supported the concepts or wanted The Park improved . A thorough restoration plan has been underway for over five years, that includes a comprehensive program of research, analysis, and design detailed in the text. This restoration work is understood in a broad sense, that of prolonging the life of a large and complex artifact. It involves the creation and/or better coordination of services and the installation of a new infrastructure to meet modern needs. The administration of the park has been updated: it operates under two budgets, a municipal one and another funded through the fund raising efforts of a private agency (Central Park Conservancy). The projects already completed are named.