An Anchoring Urban Cemetery, Memphis, Tennessee

This thesis proposes an urban infill cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee. By infilling seven blocks within the arts district of downtown Memphis with a new urban cemetery, further significance is given to both the city and the cemetery. Because it would be a newly built cemetery, it could initially function as an urban park and become a cemetery over time as the space is needed to remember the dead. The same elements of the cemetery would compose the park, but by allowing a slow transformation from park to cemetery, the resulting public space will carry much more meaning than either space could do alone. The cemetery connects the continuing evolution of the city with the lives of its citizens. Each block is different yet linked and intertwined, just like Memphis residents. The blocks are multi-use and as such, share the history and legacy of those who have died with those who live in and visit the city.