Colloquia
On April 1, 2016, the Columbia University Seminar on Death sponsored a Colloquium on the theme of "Designing for Life and Death: Sustainable Disposition and Spaces of Remembrance in the 21st Century Metropolis." Co-sponsored with the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, the Columbia Earth Institute, and the Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life, the colloquium pursued two objectives:
1) To present and discuss feasible solutions to a) the scarcity of cemetery space, b) resource consumption, soil and air pollution, and c) the changing role of faith and diverse needs for memorialization among 21st century urban residents.
2) To engage relevant stakeholders in a productive dialogue about the opportunities and challenges of realizing innovative solutions to the disposition of human remains and the design of respectful, public spaces of remembrance. New York City serves as a case for addressing these issues in the US and globally.
