From Landfill to Park in 30 Years

It is hard to believe, but the City of New York has implemented plans to renovate a former landfill into a city park.  This is quite an endeavor, and certainly a model for site restoration.

The Fresh Kills Landfill was established in 1948, and was the principal dumping site for the City of New York.  It even had the dubious distinction of being the largest landfill in the world!  The site was closed in March of 2001, until 9/11, when it was reopened for ten months to receive debris from the World Trade Centers.

The current master plan incorporates several programming elements, including athletic fields, horseback riding, mountain biking, nature trails, and large-scale art exhibits.  It will also host a variety of wildlife and native plants, and provide amenities for nature viewing.  The park campus will be broken up into five smaller sections, each providing many opportunities for the public to use its various resources.  The entire project is expected to take 30 years, and will be split into three 10-year phases.

This is a monumental project, which will hopefully spur other communities to look at how they can take what may be considered “contaminated” sites and turn them back to nature.

For more information, visit the Fresh Kills Park website.  You can even sign up for a newsletter to track the progress of the development.

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