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> since I find it pathetic to use land after I passed away You aen't using it up. You, or your heirs, etc., just rent the plot for a while. Where I live ever

> since I find it pathetic to use land after I passed away You aen't using it up. You, or your heirs, etc., just rent the plot for a while. Where I live every resident is entitled to a plot in the local churchyard for twenty years, if you, or your family, want more then you pay a fee for more years. The town has been in existence for at least two hundred years yet the size of the graveyard increases only as the population increases. My wife's ashes were buried there last year and there is room on the gravestone for my name and that of my children if they want it so it could be occupied for another hundred years. However, it is more likely that twenty years after my death the plot will be reused by another family. This occupies about one square metre. The house I live in occupies about 900 square metres of land so I don't think my wife's ashes are occupying a disproportionate amount of space. Don't take this as criticism, just another point of view.

Fnoord 8y ago
I live in a dense country, I'd rather see the space and money get used for other things such as a playground, or directly to my daughter, or an NGO such as BOF (national equiv to EFF).
testplzignore 8y ago
I guess this must be a regional thing dependent on population density. Where I live in the US, I have seen plots from my ancestors who died 150 years ago. I've never known of any relatives whose plots have been reused. Though the rate at which cemeteries are created/expanded is much lower than I would expect, even accounting for the fact that only ~50% of the population is buried. I've often wondered how to explain the discrepancy...
extra88 8y ago
In the US, burial plots being for a single individual forever is the norm. Cemeteries basically build up a fund to pay for maintenance in perpetuity. What you describe is more the norm in Europe, I don’t know about elsewhere. https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2018/04/17/603360426/how-american-cemeteries-promise-to-keep-your-grave-forever https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2018/04/17/603360426/how-...

Fnoord 8y ago

I live in a dense country, I'd rather see the space and money get used for other things such as a playground, or directly to my daughter, or an NGO such as BOF (national equiv to EFF).

testplzignore 8y ago

I guess this must be a regional thing dependent on population density. Where I live in the US, I have seen plots from my ancestors who died 150 years ago. I've never known of any relatives whose plots have been reused. Though the rate at which cemeteries are created/expanded is much lower than I would expect, even accounting for the fact that only ~50% of the population is buried. I've often wondered how to explain the discrepancy...

extra88 8y ago

In the US, burial plots being for a single individual forever is the norm. Cemeteries basically build up a fund to pay for maintenance in perpetuity. What you describe is more the norm in Europe, I don’t know about elsewhere. https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2018/04/17/603360426/how-american-cemeteries-promise-to-keep-your-grave-forever https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2018/04/17/603360426/how-...