The cultural role of cemeteries is well defined, but the ecological importance of these sites is less recognized. As passively-used permanent greenspace, cemeteries have the potential to sustain biodiversity as surrounding land uses change. Informant interviews were conducted with professionals familiar with cemeteries and the funeral industry, and responses were compared within and between professions. Results of this study suggest that while cemeteries provide significant cultural and environmental benefits, their ecological potential is limited by factors including funding and legislation. In order to enhance the ecological value of cemetery sites, the incorporation of native trees and variable habitat within traditional cemetery designs should be considered to improve the quality of resources available to wildlife. Additionally,amendments should be made to the Provincial Policy Statement to include an independent land use designation for cemeteries and implement regional scale planning of these sites across Ontario.

Idag byggs urbana, rekreativa grönområden ofta bort till följd av förtätning, samtidigt som städernas kyrkogårdar lämnas orörda. Studien syftar till att i en svensk kontext, undersöka möjligheterna att planera för att urbana kyrkogårdar även ska fungera som rekreationsområde, utan att platsens spirituella dimension går förlorad. Studien har en abduktiv ansats, där kvalitativa intervjuer med planerare samt en representant från Svenska kyrkan utförts. Vidare har platskänsla använts som verktyg för att tolka materialet. Slutsatsen är att det idag finns olika intressenter, tillika platskänslor, att ta hänsyn till vid kyrkogårdsplanering. Några strategier, för att balansera de rekreativa och spirituella värdena, är att låta kyrkogården ha olika funktioner på olika ytor eller tidpunkter. En annan strategi är att anpassa vilken typ av rekreation som platsen uppmanar till. Det finns också möjligheter att utveckla kyrkogårdens spirituella värden som kan betraktas som rekreativa i sig. / Today, urban recreational green areas are gradually removed as a result of densification, while urban cemeteries are left untouched. This study aims to investigate the possibilities for urban cemeteries in Sweden to function as recreational areas, without losing the spiritual dimension. The study takes an abductive approach, where qualitative interviews with planners and representatives from the Church of Sweden were conducted. Furthermore, the concept of ‘sense of place’ has been used as a tool for interpreting the material. The conclusion is that there are many stakeholders, and different senses of place, to take into account in cemetery planning. Strategies for balancing the recreational and spiritual values involve working with different spaces and analyzing how they are used at different times. Adapting what type of recreation that is encouraged, is another approach. Lastly, some planners believe that the cemetery's spiritual values can be considered recreational in itself.