In crowded New York City, finding a final resting place in one of the city's cemeteries is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive. Other major cities are facing the same crunch.
"[I]n the parts of town where a burial plot is still available, the cost has in some cases more than tripled in less than a decade; aboveground mausoleums can fetch upward of $3 million. Cemeteries are scrambling to create more space, and as plot prices have soared, the number of cremations has also risen, with a quarter of New Yorkers choosing the less expensive alternative.
Trinity Church Cemetery in Washington Heights, the last operating graveyard in Manhattan, has stopped selling plots, offering burial only in the most "extraordinary circumstances," or to people with long-held reservations."
Demand for burials plots remains high despite a growing number of people opting for cremation. Cemeteries in New York and other cities are looking at new ways to offer space up to those who still want their bodies six feet under.
FULL STORY: City Cemeteries Face Gridlock
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research