New York Turns Largest Landfill into Large Urban Park

Freshkills Landfill in Staten Island New York became the largest operational landfill in the U.S. in 1986. When it was operational twenty barges, each carrying as much as 650 tons of garbage, were shipped there every day. It may have been the largest man-made "structure" on Earth, because the site's volume eventually exceeded the Great Wall of China. In 2001, its peak was 25 meters taller than the Statue of Liberty. It was so large that it became a popular myth that Fresh Kills landfill was large enough to be seen from outer space, even though it was too small to be seen from that far away.

Under local pressure and with support of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the landfill site was closed in 2002. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation announced a plan to convert the former landfill into one of the the nation's largest city parks. The transformation of what was formerly the largest landfill into a productive and beautiful cultural destination will make the park a symbol of urban renewal and demonstrate that former landfills can be reused for a variety of puposes.

At 2,200 acres, Freshkills Park will be almost three times the size of Central Park and the largest park developed in New York City in a century. While nearly 45 percent of the site was once used for landfill operations, the remainder of the site is currently composed of wetlands, open waterways, and unfilled lowland areas. The tops of the landfill mounds themselves offer spectacular vistas of the expansive site, as well as views of downtown Manhattan.

Click here to watch a 4-minute episode about Freshkills Park from the show It’s My Park.

Click here to visit the official Freshkills Park website.

In addition to providing a wide range of recreational opportunities, including many uncommon in the city, the park’s design, ecological restoration and cultural and educational programming will emphasize environmental sustainability and a renewed public concern for our human impact on the earth.

The build–out is planned to occur in phases for the next 30 years. The initial development will focus on providing public access to the interior of the site and showcasing its unusual combination of natural and engineered beauty.

Phase 1

Major outcomes of Phase 1 include:

• Portions of the South Park and North Park and the Confluence open to the public
• Completion of the Loop drive and links to the West Shore Expressway
• First recreational facilities complete and in operation
• Early programs and settings for non–profit and commercial initiative
• Visible progress of ecological transformation underway
• Establishment of new parkland identity
• East and West Mounds closed and capped

Phase 2

With much of the park infrastructure in place, Phase 2 concentrates on enhancing program settings and ecology. Major outcomes of Phase 2 include:

• East Park opens
• Additional recreational facilities, public space and ecology improvements in North Park, South Park and the Confluence
• Paths, trails and boatways extended
• Range of non–profit and commercial ventures built and animating the park’s public spaces.

Phase 3

Phase 3 expands the acreage open to the public and converts landfill infrastructure to support new uses. Major outcomes of Phase 3 include:

• West park natural areas and public landscapes significantly expanded; development of the Arthur Kill edge of the park
• The Point program areas built out and highly active
• Continued emergence of new habitats

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