Landscape of Hope

Landscape of Hope is a plan for the future of Hart Island. Its goal is to end the practice of mass burials while preserving New York City's only cemetery that offers natural burials. Currently, burials on the island use long, 8-foot-deep trenches, where 200 boxes are stacked four high. This method is both culturally insensitive and unsustainable, given rising sea levels.

Working with landscape architecture researchers at Ohio State University's Knowlton School, the Landscape of Hope team has developed a proof of concept. The plan shows how New York City could transition to individual graves that are only 3 feet deep. This would place them well above the rising water table.

Each box would have its own GPS coordinates. Visitors could use a mobile device to easily locate a friend or loved one's specific gravesite, rather than searching for a numbered marker.

By changing from mass burials to individual graves, the Hart Island landscape will be transformed. You can explore how this change would look at five different locations over time through 360-degree views. This approach honors the lives of New Yorkers with a more respectful and sustainable burial practice.