• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.33 no.1 s.108
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• pp.93-108
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• 2005

Fresh Kills is the largest landfill in the world located in the west side of Staten Island, New York. The landfill served as a storage area for New York City's trash for more than 50 years. After years of civilian and political pressure, state and local legislation decided its closure of landfill operation in Fresh Kills in March 2001. Soon after, Department of City Planning announced a Fresh Kills international design com-petition: 'Landfill to Landscape'. The winning entry was promised to be outline for the redevelopment of the 2,200 acre site which the size of three times Central Park. Forty-eight teams representing more than 200 offices from around world submitted proposals, from which six finalists that mostly led by landscape architects were selected. In December 2001, a jury of architects, landscape architects and city officials unanimously selected Field Operations as the winner. The plan, named Lifescape, visualizes the gradual 20-year transformation of the whole Staten Island into a 'natural lifestyle island' recognizing that Staten Island is home to coastal wetlands that shelter one of the most diverse ecosystems in the New York metropolitan area. It suggested that an ecologically reconstituted Fresh Kills could become the center of integrated parks and greenways system on the island otherwise fragmented. The project will be one of the largest and most ambitious undertakings in the metropolis in years developing a complex web of habitats and parklands on top of mountain of trash. This study tries to achieve two goals: One is to provide general explanations on the project, Lifescape, breaking down to its background, geographical context, design concepts and phased development plan. Another is to introduce the unique and innovative design approaches by Field Operations that are different from a conventional landscape architectural attitude. Since this project was well published through many magazines and newspapers, main focus will be upon aspects that differentiate this project from usual landscape projects. Conceptually Lifescape brought provocative notions on nature/culture relationship and the role of urban park as an active agency rather than just a green rest area. Also this project introduced pioneering graphics like plan collage, diagrammatic plan, phasing diagram and photo montage as vehicles conveying information, imagination and provocation. Witnessing the influence of the project gradually in the field of academic and practice in the States, this study is intended to become a constructive reference to similar landscape projects dealing with large and complex urban context in conjunction with restructure of contemporary city.