Written Response

Final work

Process

Cemetery

I recently moved to West Brompton with my dog, Luka, and I started walking Luka every morning and sometimes afternoon at the Brompton Cemetery.

This is the third time that I lived right next to a cemetery. The first time was when I was undertaking a summer course at the University of Hong Kong, my dormitory was only a hundred meters away from the Chinese Christian Cemetery. The second time was when I lived in Toronto, Canada. My apartment was across from the York Cemetary and Funeral Centre.

I have never been to a cemetery before moving to Western countries. Growing up in China, I was never expected to visit my ancestors’ burial grounds as a female family member. I was not bothered by this unequal treatment as I had zero interest in climbing up the mountains and sweeping the tomb of someone I barely knew. Since I moved to Canada, I have been invited to a few funerals and paid tribute to the deceased. Yet, before moving to West Brompton, I’ve never wandered around in a cemetery as it is a space for me to explore, relax, and just be.

Choosing sites within Brompton Cemetery

I’ve considered a few sites within the Brompton Cemetery, but I started to notice the benches and sitting areas.

I associated cemeteries with the deceased, families who buried their loved ones, and people who wanted to pay tribute to the dead – nothing related to ordinary lives. Therefore, I was surprised when I realised that people were treating this cemetery almost like a regular park. I saw people sitting on benches, walking their dogs, strolling with friends, running or simply taking a shortcut to the West Brompton Station. And there’s a cafe by the entrance of the cemetery across the sales centre of Brompton Cemetery.

Photography

Mapping & Note-taking

Sketching, Photography & Note-taking

Saturday, September 30

The man is sitting in Area 1, using his phone while smoking. He put his bicycle against one of the trunks. It’s a blue bike with black handles. The seat was wrapped in a plastic bag. The weather was not rainy, but cloudy.

Sunday, October 1st

The same man came to Area 1 around 3:35pm, a similar time as the day before. He sat on the exact same trunk and put his bike against the same trunk as two days ago. He smoked and used his phone. He carried an orange plastic bag today and was taking some stuff out of the bag. The bike seat was still covered in a white plastic bag.

The couple took a seat on the bench. One of them wore a black hat and a mask and the other person also put on a mask after a few minutes. Both of them look young. The female partner wore a brown jacket over a white t-shirt, a pair of light brown trousers, and a pair of Nike Cortez in neon green with an orange swoosh. The male partner wore a blue jacket, a pair of white trousers, black shoes and a New Yorker tote bag. (The New Yorker magazine offers these tote bags for free when new customers sign up for their subscription.)
They hugged each other, leaned on each other, and patted one another on the back.

The female partner with curly hair wore a v-neck drapey top, a pair of dark grey trousers and a pair of leopard print flats. The male partner wore a light grey top, a pair of jeans with a leather belt on and a pair of sneakers/hiking shoes. He also had a dog poop bag attached to his belt. The dachshund wore a red harness and wore an orange ball. They walked through the seating area. The male partner took a seat on Seating Area 1 while the female partner kept walking a little further to the gate with the dachshund. They soon walked back, joined the male partner and sat together. Within a few minutes, they got up and walked back to Sitting Area 2 where I was sitting at the time. The female partner had eye contact with me and we started a short conversation:

‘It’s a lovely spot, isn’t it? The weather is also so nice – the first day of October.’

‘Yes, it’s not rainy or muddy yet.’

Then I looked at the dachshund and said ‘I have a dog as well.’ I showed my phone screen with Luka’s photo on it.

‘What’s your dog’s name?’

‘Reggie’

‘How old is reggie?’

‘He’s one.’

‘Ah, Luka is two years old.’

‘Can I take a photo of Reggie?’

‘Of course. Reggie, pose!’ She threw the orange ball a few times to get Reggie to pose for the camera.

After making sure I got the photo of Reggie, the couple carried on their walk.

Audio recordings & Note-taking

September 29, 2023

• ambulance alarm from Old Brompton Road
• fast paced music playing in the townhouse behind
• bird chipping from the tree, at least three different types of birds
• sound of pigeon on the ground
• a dog’s tag hitting the tag ring

October 1, 2023 | 2:48-3:55pm, 5:20-5:40pm

• Opening music from Stamford Bridge (Chelsea Women’s Football team was playing against Hotspur Women’s Football team.)
• Kids running across
• People walking through
• dogs barking

Deeper Dive

Urban Parks

Urban parks are reserved natural spaces within a city. It is almost an illusion of nature, set up as a temporary escape for the urban residents who are suffocated by the over-occupied city. Cemetery parks are interesting in particular as they serve both the dead and the living.

The reasons people choose to come to Brompton Cemetery are similar to other parks – they live nearby; they come here to meet people; they are here to walk their dogs; they are here to reconnect with nature. However, they also chose this cemetery because it tends to be quieter than other urban parks.

The Brompton Cemetery is a working cemetery, and funerals take place from time to time. Therefore, they set up seating areas and the dog walk trail on the east side of the park, which is full of tombs; therefore, no funerals will happen on this side of the cemetery. Many local residents stay in this area, while visitors often use the main road to explore the park.

One of the rules at Brompton Cemetery is that dogs should always be on a leash and be walked on the designated dog trail. Many dog owners do not obey that rule. It is only natural that animals move on their own; however, the domesticated animals are expected to follow rules as they live a civilised life with their human owners. Yet, people tend to break rules, including dog owners. Is their urge to set their beloved pets free within the cemetery park a result of their longing for freedom? There is always tension between the governing body and its citizens.

The living cost in London has become extreme in the last few years. Many people could barely afford a place to live, not to mention outdoor space, such as a backyard. Parks have become sacred spaces for all the residents and tourists in the city of London.

Disciplines, such as architecture, urban design, civil engineering and landscape architecture recognise the association between green and blue spaces and creating the physical and social context for people to live well.

Natural environments provide interest and offer opportunities to escape from daily hassles or worries¹² and provide a contrast to overstimulating urban environments that are less restorative.¹³

Being outdoors creates opportunities to establish social networks and increase social capital that can contribute to wellbeing,^23–26 improve neighbourhood social cohesion and harness community engagement.^27–29

Link here

MCCARTAN, C., DAVIDSON, G., BRADLEY, L., GREER, K., LEE, K., MULHOLLAND, A., WEBB, P. and WHITE, C., 2023. ‘Lifts your spirits, lifts your mind’: A co-produced mixed-methods exploration of the benefits of green and blue spaces for mental wellbeing. Health Expectations, 26(4), pp. 1679-1691.

People in the space

I consider these seating areas in Brompton Cemetery a community space; therefore, I started shifting my attention to the people who frequent this space. I’ve observed, interviewed and documented these park regulars through sketches and notes.

Jonathan

Johnathan is here almost every or every other afternoon. He always sits on the same bench. Sometimes he smokes a cigarette, sometimes he talks to himself and sometimes he sits still.

Jonathan also has a few acquaintances and friends who visit this park. They’d greet each other and have a little conversation. The area where Jonathan is sitting is the starting point of the dog trail, so his friends who have dogs will walk their dogs from here.

Becky

I asked Jonathan if this bench or this particular spot was his favourite area of the cemetery.

Yeah, it’s my favourite. It’s quiet. Just the aeroplanes that make a lot of noise.

I looked up at the sky and commented on the tree in front of us – but the view from here is nice, look at that beautiful tree.

Yeah, it’s beautiful. It’s fern.. pine.

How’s your ankle doing? Are you managing it all alright?

Yeah, but I’ve got other things going on at the moment.

A few people come to the cemetery and sit in a particular spot every time. Sometimes, the place grows on you, and it becomes part of your routine. A sense of belonging does not always come from the places we dwell. It can be found in other spaces, such as a cemetery park. It is a spot that means something to you. It can be a view that interests you or an atmosphere that temporarily alleviates your stress.

Margo and Margo’s Owner

Tiffany

Tiffany was here with her cat, Sandy, on a Saturday afternoon. She wore a green tank top, white shorts and a pair of sandals. I asked her about Sandy’s story.

This is sandy. I work six days a week, and I try to take her out twice a week. My apartment doesn’t have any outdoor space.

How old is Sandy?

She’s three.

It is impressive that Sandy doesn’t mind leaving the house. My friend’s cats will scream if she takes them out.

Yeah, Sandy isn’t scared of the outdoors. This is her favourite place. I tried making her wear a harness and she would lie on the ground, refusing to move. She loves wandering around the cemetery, but I feel bad about her walking through the Tombs, so I always take her to this area, which is also the only place I can sit or lie down on the grass.

Did you rescue her?

I got her through Gumtree. Her family was in a rush to go back to the Middle East and didn’t have the time to take her with them. She was very scared when I first got her. Then I was hospitalised for a few days and came back, and she then started to come to me. My right lung has a condition.

I left the U.S. and came here because I couldn’t afford healthcare in the States. I was broke because of my lung. I am able to get health care from the NHS because I now have a British passport, but I left my family, my job and everything. I am a ballerina and I was in the Boston Ballet. NHS also doesn’t know much about my condition. I went to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and they had to ‘Google’ my condition, but at least I can get treatments for free. I would never go back to the U.S. until the policy changes.

I am also single now, so I got Sandy so she keeps me company, and I have another cat at home, which I got for Sandy. Sandy didn’t know how to play and then the second cat would try to start a play with her and now she knows what toys are. Her previous family never really played with her. They’ve got two teenagers. She was just existing.

My dog is a rescue, and he’s from Mexico.

My fiancé and I used to go to Mexico a lot because it was very cheap. I used to have a financé when I was living in the States.

And Sandy’s got a big personality. One time, I came home and went out again to Tesco. She was so mad about me leaving that she scratched me when I was back. She also only eats wet food, and I couldn’t leave it out like you do with dry food, so I have to hire someone to feed her when I am working.

This cemetery used to be well maintained. It was really nice. After Covid, I guess they don’t have as much funding or as many volunteers coming in. Now weeds and plants have outgrown the tombs.

A group of friends on a Friday afternoon

Laying down in public space – many people lie down in public spaces, such as this cemetery park. Some people come prepared with a picnic blanket, some people just lie down on the grass directly, taking a nap, and some are just too drunk to stay awake. You can tell from the way they dress, they lay down whether they are here for a quick break, if they are here because they do not have any other place to rest or even homeless.

Two men often show up in the cemetery around 4 p.m. They always bring alcohol and snacks and sit on the grass against one of the tree trunks. Sometimes they feed the pigeons when they are in the mood. Sometimes, one of them will take a nap on the grass. They turn the area into a living room – the giant wood log as their wine cellar, the trunks as their drinking and dinner table, the tabloid paper as their blanket in wet weather and the pigeons as their pets.

On Friday, they’d meet a group of friends here. The atmosphere is more cheerful. They play games, drink alcohol, listen to music and even hug each other. The living room becomes a social pub on a Friday afternoon.

A kid, mom and their dog, bobby

A lady who picks up the glass and garbage from the ground

Broken glasses are dangerous for dogs and wildlife, like foxes and squirrels. Their paws could easily be cut by these glasses. I am just passing by. I am picking them up and I usually dump them in the rubbish bin by the entrance. I think it’s the alcoholic who did this, but I can’t imagine why someone would smash these bottles.

Social context and further research

high inflation, partially a consequence of trade disruption associated with the conflict in Ukraine, superimposed on the impact of Brexit and associated fall in the value of the pound, which is leading to a rise in the costs of energy, food, and other essential resources for life.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(23)00003-0/fulltext

London is also one of the world’s most expensive cities. But its public parks and green spaces, often called “the lungs of London,” are free, places where all the city’s nearly nine million residents — wherever they are and whoever they are — can go to relax and escape the city’s pressures.

“There’s a cultural expectation of access to green space,” said Meredith Whitten, a fellow at the London School of Economics, whose research focuses on the urban environment. Many Londoners, Dr. Whitten said, see parks as “an extension of their living room.”

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/09/25/world/europe/london-parks.html

Although urban greening is universally recognized as an essential part of sustainable and climate-responsive cities, a growing literature on green gentrification argues that new green infrastructure, and greenspace in particular, can contribute to gentrification, thus creating social and racial inequalities in access to the benefits of greenspace and further environmental and climate injustice.

ANGUELOVSKI, I., CONNOLLY, J.J.T., COLE, H., GARCIA-LAMARCA, M., TRIGUERO-MAS, M., BARÓ, F., MARTIN, N., CONESA, D., SHOKRY, G., DEL PULGAR, C.P., RAMOS, L.A., MATHENEY, A., GALLEZ, E., OSCILOWICZ, E., MÁÑEZ, J.L., SARZO, B., BELTRÁN, M.A. and MINAYA, J.M., 2022. Green gentrification in European and North American cities. Nature Communications, 13(1),. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/green-gentrification-european-north-american/docview/2683500997/se-2?accountid=10342

While new or improved green spaces benefit residents by providing opportunities for physical activity, improving social cohesion and reducing air pollution, accompanying gentrification may result in contentious local social relations, and may actually exacerbate inequities in health and other outcomes by determining who benefits from these amenities, and who does not, transforming these new green amenities into what we call GreenLULUs (Green Locally Unwanted Land Uses) and a green paradox.

COLE, H.V.S., GARCIA LAMARCA, M., CONNOLLY, J.J.T. and ANGUELOVSKI, I., 2017. Are green cities healthy and equitable? Unpacking the relationship between health, green space and gentrification. Journal of epidemiology and community health, 71(11), pp. 1118.

References

ANGUELOVSKI, I., CONNOLLY, J.J.T., COLE, H., GARCIA-LAMARCA, M., TRIGUERO-MAS, M., BARÓ, F., MARTIN, N., CONESA, D., SHOKRY, G., DEL PULGAR, C.P., RAMOS, L.A., MATHENEY, A., GALLEZ, E., OSCILOWICZ, E., MÁÑEZ, J.L., SARZO, B., BELTRÁN, M.A. and MINAYA, J.M., 2022. Green gentrification in European and North American cities. Nature Communications, 13(1),.

Beltran, G., Boshnaq, M., Lee, J., and Chilla, N. (2023) ‘In Pricey London, Free Parks Are a Cherished Haven’, The New York Times, 25 September. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/09/25/world/europe/london-parks.html (Accessed: 16 October 2023).

COLE, H.V.S., GARCIA LAMARCA, M., CONNOLLY, J.J.T. and ANGUELOVSKI, I., 2017. Are green cities healthy and equitable? Unpacking the relationship between health, green space and gentrification. Journal of epidemiology and community health, 71(11), pp. 1118.

MCCARTAN, C., DAVIDSON, G., BRADLEY, L., GREER, K., LEE, K., MULHOLLAND, A., WEBB, P. and WHITE, C., 2023. ‘Lifts your spirits, lifts your mind’: A co-produced mixed-methods exploration of the benefits of green and blue spaces for mental wellbeing. Health Expectations, 26(4), pp. 1679-1691.