2. Freshkills Park

Touted as the largest park developed by the city in more than 100 years, Freshkills Park has been described by Staten Island Blue Guide author Carol V. Wright as a “monumental act of ecological contrition.” Set to be completed by 2036, the 2,200-acre former landfill will be nearly three times the size of Central Park and, despite the area’s history, will be able to “offer just about everything you could wish for in a park,” writes Wright.
What’s making this transformation possible? According to the Fresh Kills Park Alliance, 30 inches of soil and protective geotextiles cover the trash. A network of underground pipes filters away methane and leachate from the decomposing waste. That gas is then converted to natural gas to be used by the National Grid.
Read more about Freshkills Park here.