NEW YORK, NY — New York City has lost one of its most visionary civic leaders. Gordon J. Davis, the man credited with leading the revival of Central Park and the city’s entire parks system, has died at age 85.
Davis, who made history as New York City’s first Black Parks Commissioner, was remembered this week as the founder of the Central Park Conservancy and one of the most effective parks commissioners since the Robert Moses era.
Appointed by Mayor Edward I. Koch, Davis served as Parks Commissioner from 1978 to 1983. It was a time of crisis for New York. Following the fiscal crisis of the mid-1970s, the parks were in extreme distress — Sheep Meadow was a dust bowl, public pools were shuttered, fountains had run dry, and graffiti was rampant.
Davis faced a critical choice: let the parks descend into oblivion, or lead the charge to revive them.
He chose to revive them.
As Commissioner, Davis helped revitalize the Parks Department, establishing the Central Park Conservancy and Urban Park Rangers, among many reforms and improvements. His innovations also included the revival of Bryant Park through the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation, the establishment of the Prospect Park administrator’s office, borough decentralization, and bringing beloved free concerts to the parks with artists like Diana Ross and Simon and Garfunkel.
A Harvard-educated lawyer and civic leader, Davis went on to become the founding chairman of Jazz at Lincoln Center in 1990 and a senior partner at major law firms. In 2020, he was honored by the New York Landmarks Conservancy as a Living Landmark for his outstanding contributions.
At this time, an official cause of death for Gordon J. Davis has not been publicly released by his family. He passed away at 85, leaving behind a legacy that can be seen in every green acre of New York.
For any New Yorker who has ever walked through a clean, safe, and vibrant Central Park, you have walked through Gordon J. Davis’s legacy. Before Davis, Central Park was considered dangerous and dying. After Davis, it became the model for urban park restoration worldwide.
Tributes from city officials, preservationists, and New Yorkers have poured in, remembering Davis not just as an administrator, but as the city leader who saved its most beloved park.
Funeral arrangements and memorial service information for Gordon J. Davis will be announced by his family at a later date.
Our most heartfelt condolences go out to the family, friends, and colleagues of Gordon J. Davis.
Rest in Peace, Gordon J. Davis. The man who revived Central Park will never be forgotten
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