Activity 10 - Maria Popa

Before this class I did not know Freshkills Park existed. In fact, I didn’t even know that Staten Island was bigger than Central Park, much less that it could house a park almost three size of it. During our tour of the park, I learned about and was impressed by the history of the land fill, the process through which the park is created, and the developer’s plans for the future of the park.

According to our tour guide, Freshkills’ name is of Dutch origin and it means “fresh waters” which is evident by the streams that separate the four mounds. The combination of the blue waters and the green of the grass and trees make the park look very naturely, which is incredible considering that is all built on New York City’s trash. Millions of tons of trash that generations of New Yorkers dumped on Staten Island now serve as the structure for what will be the largest park in the city. The planners see the park as a popular destination for people from all the boroughs to kayak, bird watch, bike, hike, star watch and enjoy being outdoors away from city traffic and pollution. But the park is also meant to give back to the community that had to deal with the smell of garbage for decades, and thus has numerous soccer fields and ball parks that can be used by local schools and all members of the community. The park’s four mounds contain trash for various decades and they will all have different purpose, like for example the west mound contains debris from the world trade center buildings and the park’s planners designed it as an area in which ball parks are replaced by monuments commemorating 9/11 victims.

Freshkills has a lot more to offer than a variety of leisurely activities. “Freshkills Park is a fascinating and inspiring project that weaves together a series of unusual issues and disciplines: waste management systems, ecology, landfill infrastructure, urban planning and landscape architecture, public art, land reclamation, sustainability, renewable energy, New York City history” (http://landscapeandurbanism.blogspot.com/2009/03/freshkills-park-blog.html). Personally, I was very impressed by the technology involved in creating this park. There are several layers covering the garbage – the soil barrier layers, the gas vent layer, the drainage layer, the barrier protection material layer, and a minimum of 6 inches of planting soil (which is surprisingly very expensive). I was also shocked to find out that not only are the builders of the park making garbage into something beautiful and healthy that the entire community can enjoy, but they also collect the land fill gas “generated by the anaerobic decomposition of organic materials at solid waste disposal sites,” (booklet) and sell it to the Staten Island community. According to Doug, last year 200,000 Staten Island homes were heated with gas coming from Freshkills, which is really impressive.

Ultimately I cannot wait for the park to be open to the public so everyone can enjoy spending time on millions of tons of garbage covered by very expensive soil. I can’t wait to go there in 20 – 30 years from now when the whole park is open and tell my friends that I’ve been there when the park was just in construction and bore them with trivia facts about the park’s origin.