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For many, pondering the afterlife raises profound spiritual questions about the fate of our souls. But perhaps a more immediate, practical question is: Where do our bodies go once they've served their purpose?
The solution seems clear—graveyards. But for most urban dwellers, this option is rapidly becoming scarce. With underground burial space dwindling, this is now a global dilemma, prompting cities to explore inventive and proactive measures.
10. New York City, New York
With a staggering population of over eight million people spread across five boroughs, New York is undoubtedly the largest city in the United States. In a city so densely populated, one can only imagine how vibrant and energetic it must be. The only peaceful spaces left seem to be its cemeteries.
However, these cemeteries will soon no longer be places where respect for the past meets nostalgia for those who once lived. Instead, they will become remnants of a bygone era as the dates on gravestones fall further behind the present.
For those in Manhattan seeking their eternal resting place within their home borough, there is only one remaining choice: Trinity Church Cemetery and Mausoleum. Established in 1697, this historic churchyard is the final resting place of Alexander Hamilton, his wife Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, their son Philip Hamilton, and his sister-in-law Angelica Schuyler Church. Trinity Church Cemetery and Mausoleum is the only active burial site left in Manhattan and exclusively accommodates aboveground burials.
If you're from any other borough or unable to secure a spot at Trinity, your options narrow down to New Jersey, Green-Wood Cemetery, or Cypress Hills Cemetery, both located in the historic borough of Brooklyn.
At Cypress Hills, cemetery management is searching between existing graves to find new spaces for burials. They've begun digging new graves perpendicular to the roads and older graves to maximize every inch of available space. At Canarsie Cemetery in Brooklyn, plans are underway to construct an entire new 'town' of mausoleums to meet the growing demand for burial sites.
9. Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong has always been a vibrant hub for commerce and a popular destination for tourists. As a result, its population has steadily reached 7.4 million residents. While this contributes to the city's energy, it leaves little room for those wishing to settle in Hong Kong after their passing.
Since the 1980s, Hong Kong has faced challenges in securing sufficient burial space—resorting to land on the city's hillsides to build multi-tiered cemeteries like the Pok Fu Lam cemetery. These cemeteries, which are nearing full capacity, play a central role in the Qingming (‘tomb sweeping’) festival every April.
During this festival, descendants gather at the graves of their ancestors to honor them by cleaning and maintaining the family tombs. In fact, some families are willing to pay up to $30,000 for a private grave at Hong Kong's Tseung Kwan O cemetery due to the scarcity of space and the desire to fulfill their loved ones' final wishes.
For those hoping to secure a spot in a public burial vault, the wait can extend up to five years for cremated remains, which are often stored in bags at funeral homes. By that time, there may be no room left.
To address the needs of future generations, Hong Kong's government has proposed an innovative solution: a floating cemetery that could house nearly 370,000 urns. Dubbed the 'Floating Eternity,' it would also feature green spaces where families could picnic during their visits, along with bamboo gardens to celebrate the city's numerous festivals.
8. London, England
In London, the demand for posthumous real estate is rapidly increasing. Two boroughs—Tower Hamlets and Hackney—have stopped offering burial services altogether due to lack of space. In fact, Tower Hamlets hasn't conducted any new burials since 1966.
Many cemeteries, such as Tower Hamlets, are considering the option of reusing graves. The City of London Cemetery in East London has already begun this practice. After giving notice on the relevant graves at least six months in advance, the cemetery exhumes coffins from graves that are 75 years or older, digs deeper graves, and places the old coffins at the bottom before burying new individuals on top.
In 2017, Parliament passed a law that legalized the reclamation and reuse of graves. While this solution has faced significant backlash, the alternative—clearing wooded areas and other precious green spaces—is just as contentious. For many Londoners, the decision comes down to choosing between preserving family histories or protecting vital green areas.
7. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
In Philadelphia, the historic city has encountered an unusual architectural dilemma: Many construction projects are delayed due to the discovery of scattered human remains. Surprisingly, this isn't a new problem for the city, with newspapers reporting similar occurrences as far back as 1851.
Philadelphia, a city with numerous forgotten and abandoned gravesites, has had to tackle this ongoing challenge by creating a map that details every cemetery, burial ground, and graveyard the city has known. Collaborating with the University of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Archaeological Forum, the city has successfully compiled a comprehensive map of both current and historical burial sites.
As for present and future burials, Philadelphia residents have been compelled to seek burial space in the suburbs. Laurel Hill, the city's largest and most historically significant cemetery, has fought to preserve its expansive green grounds.
Laurel Hill Cemetery, established during the Victorian era, has grown into a 78-acre site popular with both the living and the deceased. However, due to being at 99 percent capacity, the cemetery has been forced to slow the pace of burials.
Currently, Laurel Hill Cemetery only conducts about 25 in-ground burials annually and has expanded its services to include private and community mausoleums, a columbarium (a structure designed for urn storage), and a ceremonial scattering garden.
6. Venice, Italy
Surprisingly, the world-renowned lagoon city of Venice—famous for its picturesque gondola rides and iconic bridges—has become a popular resting place for both locals and tourists. One might wonder, how does a city renowned for its canals accommodate a cemetery?
In 1837, the Isola di San Michele, an island located just off Venice’s northeastern shore, was designated as the only place within Venice where burials could take place. However, the San Michele Island Cemetery is just under 2.6 square kilometers (1 mile) in size, and it has very limited burial capacity.
As a result, the cemetery is generally used as a temporary resting place. After 12 years, the remains are either exhumed and cremated or placed in an ossuary within the Venice city limits.
Recently, the Venice city council passed a law allowing individuals to hire a boat and travel 700 meters (2,300 ft) offshore to scatter the ashes of their loved ones. For those wishing to scatter ashes on land, the city has also designated a small garden on San Michele Island for this purpose.
5. Singapore
In Singapore, acquiring land for burial sites is becoming increasingly difficult due to the demand for space to build new highways and shopping centers. As a result, the country has resorted to exhuming graves in order to make room for infrastructure projects.
At Singapore's Bukit Brown Cemetery, nearly half of the 100,000 graves have been exhumed to make way for an eight-lane highway cutting through the cemetery. But the redevelopment doesn’t end there; the remaining land at Bukit Brown will be repurposed for residential housing and apartment complexes to accommodate the growing population of the city-state.
A similar approach, which sparked public outcry, began in the early 2000s at Singapore's historic Bidadari Cemetery. Graves were exhumed, with remains either relocated or cremated. For Muslim graves, a new underground crypt was constructed, designed to accommodate religious practices while maximizing the use of available land.
Both Bukit Brown and Bidadari cemeteries ceased in-ground burials during the mid-to-late 1900s, but they continued to allow cremations and columbarium burials. Even at one of Singapore's active cemeteries, Choa Chu Kang, space is being cleared for public buildings and road construction. Consequently, many Singaporeans are turning to cremation and columbarium burials in hopes of ensuring that their resting places remain permanent.
4. Tel Aviv, Israel
In accordance with Jewish religious customs and Halachah, out-of-ground burials, including cremation, are prohibited because it is believed that God created our bodies as sacred. Thus, it is expected that our bodies return to the Earth and to the Creator.
As a result, burial space in Israel, already scarce, is further limited because of these religious restrictions. To address the issue, Israeli officials have proposed exploring 'high-density burials.' This solution has already been implemented in Tel Aviv’s Kiryat Shaul Cemetery, where a four-story burial complex has been established.
But how does this burial complex adhere to the in-ground burial prohibition?
The answer is simple. The architects designed the structure to resemble rolling hills, with flowers and shrubbery climbing along its exterior walls. To stay true to Halachah, each level of the building has a dirt floor, and a column of dirt runs through each floor, eventually reaching the earth beneath the building.
In addition, to honor the Jewish law that mandates the deceased be buried individually, each burial chamber is divided by cement walls. Though unconventional, this practice was generally well-received by the public.
3. Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo's cemeteries have struggled with a shortage of burial space for the past two generations. In the 1970s, the city built its first and only locker cinerarium to preserve land for in-ground burials. This practice is uncommon, as Japan holds a deep tradition of honoring ancestors in family burial plots near picturesque Buddhist temples.
By the mid-1960s, burial space in Tokyo’s Buddhist temples had been fully exhausted. As a result, many residents sought graves in distant locations, such as Kamakura and Mount Fuji, which provided peaceful environments ideal for reflection. Unfortunately, this was only a short-term solution, and it turned out to be prohibitively expensive for most families in the city.
To merge traditional practices with modern needs, the Ruriden columbarium was established. This facility allows families to access their loved one's urn using an electric card, with the urns placed on small altars beside Buddha statues.
These urns are displayed behind glass, and they light up when the electric card is swiped, making it easy for relatives to find their loved ones' remains. After 33 years, the urns are transferred to a crypt located beneath the building.
2. Australia
In Australia, finding burial space 1.8 meters (6 ft) underground is becoming increasingly difficult. A controversial 2018 law allows families to lease burial plots for 25 to 99 years. After the lease expires, if the family cannot be contacted or does not respond within two years, the cemetery is legally allowed to reclaim the grave by exhuming the remains and relocating the bones to a communal ossuary.
A less contentious, though rarer, alternative is the natural 'green' burial offered at Bunurong Memorial Park near Dandenong. This park includes Murrun Naroon, or 'Life Spirit'—a serene, wooded area designated for burials without coffins or headstones.
In a 'green' burial, the deceased is wrapped in a biodegradable shroud with a plastic GPS tracker attached. Over time, the body and shroud naturally decompose, nourishing the earth and supporting the growth of native Australian plants.
However, the GPS tracker remains buried, enabling descendants to visit their ancestor's resting place and experience the new life that has sprung from it.
1. Netherlands
The Netherlands, recognized for its innovations in water management and eco-friendly waste practices, has also extended its recycling ethos to cemeteries. Due to unfavorable soil conditions and high water tables, the country has long faced challenges in developing burial grounds.
As a result, citizens are only permitted to lease grave plots for a period of 20 years. After this time, relatives can choose to renew the lease or forfeit the space. If no contact is made within six months of a notice posted on the gravestone, the cemetery will relocate the remains to a communal plot.
The only exception to this practice applies to Jewish cemeteries, where religious law prohibits the exhumation or relocation of graves. However, it can be difficult to track down relatives for 'general graves' that house up to three unrelated individuals in the same plot. This, along with a reluctance to disturb the deceased, makes it harder to enforce the removal of bodies from graves with expired leases.
