My cemetery-related research focuses on how burial grounds in the US have been planned for and managed since World War II. This includes land use, environmental impact, nuisance, finance, and design. My work focuses on understanding how public institutions, including municipalities, counties, and states, have engaged with the problem of burial and taken steps to plan for the spatial demands of present and emerging disposition practices.

Basmajian, C. and Coutts, C. (2010) ‘Planning for the disposal of the dead’, Journal of the American Planning Association, 76:3, 305-317.

Coutts, C., Basmajian, C., Merriam, D., and Salkin, P. (2013) Planning for the Deceased, Chicago: American Planning Association, Planning Advisory Service Report no. 572.

Coutts, C., Basmajian, C., Seehee, J. & Kelty, S. (2018) ‘Natural burial as a land conservation tool’, Landscape and Urban Planning, 178, 130-143.