Would it be possible to use cemeteries as recreation areas? – 01/29/2024 – Claudio Bernardes

The world’s population, as well as the proportion of the total population living in cities and urban areas, has exploded in recent decades. It is a proven fact that “urban green” plays an important role in mitigating the so-called “heat island” effect and, during the pandemic, the relevance of public spaces and green areas in daily recreation has also come to the fore.

Public spaces are believed to make cities more livable, healthy and socially egalitarian. However, to date, discussions about public spaces have mainly revolved around emblematic types, such as squares and parks.

However, in the last decade, the recreational use of cemeteries is an issue that has attracted increasing interest in land use research and policy, particularly in the Nordic countries.

But would the use of cemeteries as a recreational area be considered a disrespectful or socially acceptable action?

To answer this question, researchers from the “Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences”, in Uppsala (Sweden), and the “Institute of Transport Economics”, in Oslo (Norway), developed a study exploring perspectives on the recreational use of cemeteries, especially within contexts involving dense urban areas.

Interviews were carried out with cemetery users, of different religious beliefs, in cities in Norway and Sweden. The results revealed that passive recreational activities, such as going for a walk or having a coffee on a cemetery bench, are generally perceived as acceptable behaviors. However, opinions differ on “active” actions such as running, cycling and walking the dog, for example.

It seems clear that the way people perceive the use of cemeteries is partly dependent on cultural beliefs and traditions, and the study concluded that the peaceful atmosphere existing in cemeteries should be preserved and nurtured, although with proper planning and implementation, some recreational activities can be integrated into certain types of cemeteries.

Another study carried out by Swedish, Danish and Finnish researchers, based on data collected between 2018 and 2020, in interviews with residents in Copenhagen (Denmark) and Helsinki (Finland), assessed the extent to which these people use urban cemeteries as everyday recreational landscapes. The results showed that several cemeteries in Copenhagen are actively used for recreation, while those in Helsinki much less frequently for this purpose.

Physical activity and experiencing nature were the most common values ​​attributed to cemeteries in Copenhagen, while social interaction, spirituality and tranquility were more common for cemeteries in Helsinki.

The results also revealed that younger Danes were particularly inclined to use cemeteries for social interactions, physical activity, and actions that can bring spiritual tranquility.

At least two factors explain why some cemeteries are used more for recreation than others. The size of the cemetery (larger cemeteries are most often used more), and its location and proximity to other areas and green spaces (when other green spaces are lacking, the pressure on cemeteries appears to be greater in densely populated areas).

Researchers from the “Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences”, in Hungary, carried out similar research in cemeteries in Budapest, and in Vienna, Austria, and found that the social acceptability of non-traditional activities in cemeteries is still controversial and contested.

According to the survey, 11% of those interviewed choose to run regularly in a cemetery, and 41% have already run in a cemetery, and 27% of those who ran in cemeteries see them as a “normal” park due to their large size, proximity and accessibility to green areas.

Despite all the issues involved, although controversial, the use of urban cemeteries for other uses is potentially relevant, and easily accessible cemeteries, in well-located areas, can serve as a leisure space for the population, in addition to their memorial and for tourist use.

However, the extent of the reach of this potential depends largely on urban regulation, the will of the administrators of these institutions, and, obviously, the acceptance of local society.

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