 In 1979, Rogers was appointed the first administrator for Central Park by then-Mayor Ed Koch.At the time, the public space was strewn with trash and long neglected with virtually no funding allocated to improving its condition.Working with then NYC Parks commissioner Gordon J. Davis, Rogers conceived of a master plan to reinstate the Greensward Plan design by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, while also keeping in mind the public purpose of the greensward and practical considerations.