Back from the Dead (Space): The Case for Cemetery Revitalization

Back from the Dead (Space): The Case for Cemetery Revitalization

Natalia Uro-De León, Master of Urban and Regional Planning 

Published August 22, 2025 

At the intersection of Cedar Avenue and Lake Street, the term dead space takes on a whole new dimension. Minneapolis’s oldest surviving cemetery – the Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery (PSMC)—the final resting place for some of the earliest and bravest Minnesotans—sits desolate. As urban property values skyrocket and green spaces become increasingly valuable, urban communities must engage towards more sustainable and meaningful approaches to cemeteries. Reminiscent of the rural cemeteries movement of the mid-nineteenth century, which brought peaceful, lush landscapes to urban areas, the City of Minneapolis can revitalize its oldest cemetery as an idyllic public space for social and ecological healing. Community-centered revitalization preserves the site’s historical significance while advancing its utility for the multicultural community surrounding the 27 acres of tranquility. 

Initially bought as farmland by Martin and Elizabeth Layman, the landscape was reimagined out of need and compassion when a local pastor asked to bury his infant son on the property in 1853 (Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission, 2008). For the next six decades their land would lay over 27,000 souls to rest, among them working-class Scandinavian immigrants, veterans who served in history-defining conflicts including the War of 1812 and World War I, and the city’s earliest generation of African-American abolitionists (Minneapolis PMSC, 2012; Friends of the Cemetery, 2012). Despite the undeniable impact of such legacies, the PSMC struggles to evoke sanctity among visitors due to underinvestment, denying the surrounding East Phillips community of a valuable green space.

In the 2008 PSMC Design Guidelines and Maintenance Agreement, the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission recognized that PSMC fell into disrepair in the early 20th century but was saved by the efforts of various groups including the Grand Army of the Republic, Daughters of the American Revolution, and American Legion. Together, the coalition prompted the city’s incorporation of the cemetery in 1927 quickly followed by a complete redesign in memoriam of  Minnesotan servicemembers and pioneers (Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission, 2008). Today, the PSMC site resembles its 1936 redesign, well-preserved thanks to the efforts of the Minneapolis Community Planning Economic Development, Public Works, and Friends of the Cemetery - a volunteer-based organization dedicated to the preservation of the PSMC. Their efforts earned the site a historic designation on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. Preserving the integrity and value of such a culturally significant site is necessary. 

To celebrate 150 years of service, the PSMC welcomed 150 trees onto its historic grounds in 2003. However, greater green infrastructure investments must be pursued to truly realize the benefits provided by a robust urban green space. In their 2019 study, Jessica Quinton and Peter Duinker explore the promise of managing and maintaining cemeteries as conventional urban green spaces, writing “we believe that the ecosystem services they provide make it worth pursuing” (p. 259). Ecosystem services refer to vital processes that allow the natural environment to self-regulate including water uptake through soil and vegetation and cooling through evapotranspiration. 

These processes are especially crucial in urban environments wherein built infrastructure impedes rhythms of the natural world. Well-designed urban green spaces host these processes through green infrastructure (e.g. pollinator gardens and trees) and blue infrastructure (e.g. rain gardens and bioswales). Such elements offer integrated solutions to pressing urban challenges that often disproportionately impact low-income and Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities. As captured by the Tree Equity Score National Explorer, the PSMC is situated in a High Priority block group that faces higher environmental risks such as urban heat and pollution. It is time to revitalize the PSMC design to promote ecological productivity to confront pressing environmental disparities.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the concurring Black Lives Matter movement helped create space for brave new conversations on systemic disparities and understandings of mortality. Simultaneously, limited social interaction generated a newfound appreciation for outdoor third places that promote wellness and facilitate distanced socialization (Chapman, 2021). This crucible has emboldened public discourse surrounding social equity, energizing assessments of the distribution of green spaces across racial and socio-economic groups. 

The 2024 Trust for Public Land ParkScore Report for Minneapolis found that communities of color have 54 percent less park space compared to white neighborhoods. When assessed across income groups, low-income neighborhoods have 65 percent less parked spaces compared to wealthier neighborhoods (Trust for Public Land, 2024). The neighborhood of East Phillips in Southeast Minneapolis shares both of these vulnerabilities and is burdened further as “one of the city’s most polluted neighborhoods” (Healing MN, 2022) 

BIPOC and low-income residents have historically been underserved and underrepresented in the development of green spaces that promote community health and strengthen a sense of belonging (Jennings et al, 2016; Cigliano & Barberena, 2024). Green space plays an integral role in supporting recreational activities, promoting individual and community wellness, elevating neighborhood appeal, and providing essential ecosystem services such as stormwater management and microclimate regulation (Quinton & Duinker, 2019). It is in the interest of the City of Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to support the East Phillips community in the social and physical transformation of the PSMC, learning from models in Oslo, Norway, Copenhagen, Denmark, and even local references like Lakewood Cemetery (Grabalov & Nordh, 2021). Adopting this sustainable and justice-centered approach to cemetery planning advances spatial equity and environmental justice, alleviating a burden experienced by underserved communities for far too long. 

During the 1840s, American rural cemeteries may have been the space to socialize, considered by some scholars as the first form of public parks, but social interpretations of cemeteries have since shifted dramatically (Melecki, 2023; Bender, 1974). This stigma, although valid, overlooks the reality that cemeteries have been and can serve as multifunctional public spaces for communities. In Northeast Minneapolis, this brave transformation succeeded. While strolling through Beltrami Park, visitors may be surprised to stumble across a few headstones among the park’s well-loved amenities. 

Previously the Maple Hill Cemetery, in 1947 this space was remade to better serve its predominantly Italian residents and renamed to honor an iconic Italian explorer (Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, 2024). The community-municipality dialogue that facilitated this transformation highlights the civic engagement potential of remaking public spaces. Centered around procedural equity, the co-creation of a meaningful green space alongside diverse groups offers visibility and stakeholder engagement that can inspire further civic engagement. 

Today, Beltrami Park offers a wide range of recreational and social activities for park visitors, including walking paths, a picnic area, and a Little Free Library (Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, 2024). Such additions to the PSMC support place-making for locals. However, community input must dictate what elements are deemed culturally significant to foster a truly meaningful site. 

The bold effort to revitalize the PSMC as a public space will not be without skeptics. However, cemetery transformation breathes new life to an innovative form of spatial equity and civic engagement for marginalized groups. Alongside the East Phillips community, the regeneration of the site to preserve Minnesotan history, welcome diverse cultures into civic processes, and meet the unique needs of the living community will advance Minneapolis’s sustainability and equity initiatives. In the remaking of a largely neglected dead space, we can honor the legacy of Minnesotans and inspire the next generation of changemakers.

Note: The views expressed in this publication are those of the student authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of the Humphrey Public Affairs Review (HPAR) or the Humphrey School of Public Affairs.

References: 

Barberena, L., & Cigliano, M. (2024). The Importance of Placemaking and Public Space for Migrant and Refugee Resettlement. Center for Migration 

Studies.https://cmsny.org/placemaking-public-space-migrant-refugee-resettlemen t-072524/ 

Chapman, R. (2021). “Parks and an Equitable Recovery.” Trust for Public Land.https://www.tpl.org/parks-and-an-equitable-recovery-parkscore-report 

Friends of the Cemetery. (2012). Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldier Memorial Cemetery - Welcome Page. http://www.friendsofthecemetery.org/ 

Grabalov, P., & Nordh, H. (2021). The Future of Urban Cemeteries as Public Spaces: Insights from Oslo and Copenhagen. Planning Theory & Practice, 23(1), 81–98. https://doi.org/10.1080/14649357.2021.1993973 

Healing MN. (2022, September 10). “East Phillips Urban Farm shows the City of Minneapolis’ disregard for its promises to stop systemic racism.” Sierra Club North Star Chapter. 

https://www.sierraclub.org/minnesota/blog/2022/09/east-phillips-urban-farm-sh ows-city-minneapolis-disregard-its-promises-stop#:~:text=East%20Phillips%20is% 20one%20of,and%2010%20percent%20Native%20American. 

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Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission. (2008). Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery Design Guidelines and Maintenance Agreement. https://www.minneapolismn.gov/media/-www-content-assets/documents/La ymans-Cemetery-Design-Guidelines-Maintenance-Agmt.pdf 

Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board. (2024, September 10). Beltrami Park - History. https://www.minneapolisparks.org/parks-destinations/parks-lakes/beltrami_ park/ 

Minnesota Compass. East Phillips neighborhood data. 

https://www.mncompass.org/profiles/city/minneapolis/east-phillips 

Nelson, P. (2024) "Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery, Minneapolis." MNopedia, Minnesota Historical Society. 

http://www.mnopedia.org/place/pioneers-and-soldiers-memorial-cemetery minneapolis

Quinton, J. M., & Duinker, P. N. (2019). Beyond burial: researching and managing cemeteries as urban green spaces, with examples from Canada. Environmental Reviews, 27(2), 252+. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/er-2018-0060 

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https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/02000612_text