Central Park

=== 1960s and 1970s: "Events Era" and second decline ===
Moses left his position in May 1960. No park commissioner since then has been able to exercise the same degree of power, nor did NYC Parks remain in as stable a position in the aftermath of his departure. Eight commissioners held the office in the twenty years following his departure.{{sfn|Kinkead|1990|pp=112–113}} The city experienced economic and social changes, with some residents moving to the suburbs.{{sfn|Rosenzweig|Blackmar|1992|p=476}}<ref name="centralparknyc history2">{{cite web |url=http://www.centralparknyc.org/about/history.html |title=History|date=August 18, 2009 |publisher=Central Park Conservancy|access-date=December 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310211751/http://www.centralparknyc.org/about/history.html|archive-date=March 10, 2014}}</ref> Interest in Central Park's landscape had long since declined, and it was now mostly being used for recreation.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gregg|first=John|date=April 29, 1962 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30726005/ |title=Manhattan's Changing|work=New York Daily News|access-date=March 30, 2019|page=52 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Several unrealized additions were proposed for Central Park in that decade, such as a public housing development,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/05/07/archives/housing-plan-for-central-park-scored-as-absurd-and-outrage.html |title=Housing Plan for Central Park; Scored as 'Absurd' and 'Outrage' |date=May 7, 1964 |work=The New York Times|access-date=April 18, 2019|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418180855/https://www.nytimes.com/1964/05/07/archives/housing-plan-for-central-park-scored-as-absurd-and-outrage.html|archive-date=April 18, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> a golf course,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/11/19/archives/golf-in-central-park-is-rejected-by-morris.html |title=Golf in Central Park Is Rejected by Morris|date=November 19, 1964|work=The New York Times |access-date=April 18, 2019 |issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418180857/https://www.nytimes.com/1964/11/19/archives/golf-in-central-park-is-rejected-by-morris.html|archive-date=April 18, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> and a "revolving world's fair".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1966/10/20/archives/a-revolving-worlds-fair-in-central-park-proposed.html |title=A 'Revolving World's Fair' In Central Park Proposed|date=October 20, 1966 |work=The New York Times |access-date=April 18, 2019|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418180853/https://www.nytimes.com/1966/10/20/archives/a-revolving-worlds-fair-in-central-park-proposed.html|archive-date=April 18, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The 1960s marked the beginning of an "Events Era" in Central Park that reflected the widespread cultural and political trends of the period.{{sfn|Rogers|2018|p=20}} [[The Public Theater]]'s annual [[Shakespeare in the Park]] festival was settled in the [[Delacorte Theater]],<ref>{{Cite news|last=Calta|first=Louis|date=May 20, 1971 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/05/20/archives/papp-altering-central-park-theater.html |title=Papp Altering Central Park Theater|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 18, 2019|issn=0362-4331 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418023356/https://www.nytimes.com/1971/05/20/archives/papp-altering-central-park-theater.html|archive-date=April 18, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> and summer performances were instituted on the Sheep Meadow and the Great Lawn by the [[New York Philharmonic Orchestra]] and the [[Metropolitan Opera]].{{Refn|See, for example:
<br/>{{*}}{{cite web|last=Strongin|first=Theodore|title=Concert in Park Heard by 73,500|work=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|date=August 18, 1965|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1965/08/18/archives/concert-in-park-heard-by-73500-ozawa-leads-philharmonic-in-the.html|access-date=April 18, 2019}}
<br/>{{*}}{{cite web|last=Wilson|first=John S.|title=Barbra Streisand's Free Sing-In Jams Sheep Meadow in the Park|work=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|date=June 18, 1967|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1967/06/18/archives/barbra-streisands-free-singin-jams-sheep-meadow-in-the-park-barbra.html|access-date=April 18, 2019}}}} During the late 1960s, the park became the venue for rallies and cultural events such as the [[Central Park be-in|"love-ins" and "be-ins"]] of the period.{{sfn|Rosenzweig|Blackmar|1992|p=489}} The same year, [[Lasker Rink]] opened in the northern part of the park; the facility served as an ice rink in winter and Central Park's only swimming pool in summer.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1966/12/22/archives/lindsay-and-hoving-give-new-skating-rink-a-whirl.html |title=Lindsay and Hoving Give New Skating Rink a Whirl|date=December 22, 1966|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 19, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

By the mid-1970s, managerial neglect resulted in a decline in park conditions. A 1973 report noted that the park suffered from severe erosion and tree decay, and that individual structures were being vandalized or neglected.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/06/08/archives/central-park-condition-decried-preliminary-estimate.html |title=Central Park Condition Decried|last=Hudson|first=Edward|date=June 8, 1973|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 18, 2019|issn=0362-4331 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418180852/https://www.nytimes.com/1973/06/08/archives/central-park-condition-decried-preliminary-estimate.html|archive-date=April 18, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The Central Park Community Fund was subsequently created based on the recommendation of a report from a [[Columbia University]] professor.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/11/20/archives/central-park-called-badly-managed-report-urges-a-board-of-guardians.html |title=Central Park Called Badly Managed;|last=Gerston |first=Jill|date=November 20, 1974|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 18, 2019|issn=0362-4331 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418180904/https://www.nytimes.com/1974/11/20/archives/central-park-called-badly-managed-report-urges-a-board-of-guardians.html|archive-date=April 18, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The Fund then commissioned a study of the park's management and suggested the appointment of both a NYC Parks administrator and a board of citizens.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/11/12/archives/special-management-plan-urged-to-combat-central-parks-decay-against.html |title=Special Management Plan Urged To Combat Central Park's Decay|last=Maitland |first=Leslie|date=November 12, 1978|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 18, 2019|issn=0362-4331 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418180857/https://www.nytimes.com/1978/11/12/archives/special-management-plan-urged-to-combat-central-parks-decay-against.html|archive-date=April 18, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1979, Parks Commissioner [[Gordon Davis]] established the Office of Central Park Administrator and appointed [[Elizabeth Barlow Rogers|Elizabeth Barlow]], the executive director of the Central Park Task Force, to the position.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Dembart|first=Lee|date=February 28, 1979 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/02/28/archives/new-central-park-overseer-elizabeth-browning-barlow.html |title=New Central Park Overseer |work=The New York Times|access-date=April 18, 2019|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418180856/https://www.nytimes.com/1979/02/28/archives/new-central-park-overseer-elizabeth-browning-barlow.html|archive-date=April 18, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Slagle 1983">{{cite news|title=The Greening of Central Park|last=Slagle|first=Alton|date=February 6, 1983 |work=New York Daily News|pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30728624/ 7], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30728655/ 55]|via=newspapers.com}}</ref> The Central Park Conservancy, a nonprofit organization with a citizen board, was founded the following year.<ref name="NYTimes-Conservancy-1980">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1980/12/14/archives/mayor-koch-sets-up-conservancy-for-central-park-three-appointed-by.html |title=Mayor Koch Sets Up Conservancy for Central Park|last=Glueck|first=Grace|date=December 14, 1980|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 18, 2019 |issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418185030/https://www.nytimes.com/1980/12/14/archives/mayor-koch-sets-up-conservancy-for-central-park-three-appointed-by.html|archive-date=April 18, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NYDN-Conservancy-1980">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30728501/|title=Central Park gets its own fund-raisers|date=December 18, 1980 |work=New York Daily News|access-date=March 30, 2019|page=181|via=newspapers.com}}</ref>