In a new op-ed published in collaboration with Island Press, Robert Searns (author of Beyond Greenways) pushes for a broader view of cemeteries — more from a regenerative perspective — as green infrastructure or even as places to recreate.
Searns writes:
For many, the image of burial grounds conjures rows of headstones, often in a parklike setting. What if some cemeteries could also be parks, or parks could double as cemeteries? Could we picture “memorial” trails and greenways where the graves of loved ones are marked, not with headstones, but with trees? Could we imagine setting aside large open space preserves that are also resting places? These green nodes could be linked by trails with other regional preserves, creating recreational destinations at the city’s edge. To minimize use conflicts, public pathways could run along the edges of these spaces.
Read the full piece published on Medium HERE.
