What happens when a city runs out of room for its dead | Alison Killing

譯者: 易帆 余 審譯者: Allen Kuo

So, I have an overlooked but potentially lucrative

我有一個被人們忽視，

但很有搞頭的投資機會 要介紹給你們。

investment opportunity for you.

Over the past 10 years in the UK,

過去10年，在英國

the return on burial plots has outperformed the UK property market

墓地的投資報酬率比 英國的房地產還要好，

by a ratio of around three to one.

兩者的比例大致為 3:1

There are private cemeteries being set up with plots for sale to investors,

有些私人的墓園被開發出來 提供給投資者購買，

and they start at around 3,900 pounds.

價格從大約3900英鎊起跳。

And they're projected to achieve about 40 percent growth.

他們預估可達到百分之四十的成長率。

The biggest advantage is that this is a market with continuous demand.

最大的優點是...

這是一個有持續性需求的市場.....(笑聲)

Now, this is a real proposition,

現在，這真的是一門生意

and there are companies out there that really are offering this investment,

而且真有公司提供 這樣的投資標的，

but my interest in it is quite different.

但是，我對它有個很不一樣的興趣。

I'm an architect and urban designer,

我是一個建築師和城市設計師，

and for the past year and a half,

而在過去的一年半，

I've been looking at approaches to death and dying

我都在研究死亡和臨終的方法，

and at how they've shaped our cities and the buildings within them.

以及研究墓地是如何塑造 我們的城市和裡面的建築物。

So in the summer, I did my first exhibition

今年夏天，我在威尼斯舉辦了我的第一個

on death and architecture in Venice,

有關死亡和建築的展覽會。

and it was called "Death in Venice."

展覽的名字是「 威尼斯之死 」

And because death is a subject

因為死亡是一個

that many of us find quite uncomfortable to talk about,

我們許多人很不喜歡談的主題，

the exhibition was designed to be quite playful,

展覽會設計得很俏皮，

so that people would literally engage with it.

來使人們真正願意參與。

So one of our exhibits was an interactive map of London

我們的展出其中一項是倫敦的互動地圖，

which showed just how much of the real estate in the city

顯示倫敦有多少房地產

is given over to death.

是提供給死亡這件事情。

As you wave your hand across the map,

當你在地圖上揮揮手，

the name of the piece of real estate -- the building or the cemetery --

這些房地產 － 大樓或是墓地的名字 就會顯示出來。

is revealed.

And those white shapes that you can see,

你們看到的白色形狀的

they're all of the hospitals and hospices

是市區內的醫院和臨終關懷院

and mortuaries and cemeteries in the city.

以及太平間和墓地。

In fact, the majority are cemeteries.

事實上，大多數都是墓地。

We wanted to show that, even though death and burial are things

我們想證明，即使死亡和埋葬

可能是我們平常不會去想的事情，

that we might not think about,

they're all around us, and they're important parts of our cities.

但它們環繞著我們， 而且是我們城市中很重要的部分。

So about half a million people die in the UK each year,

英國每年大約有50萬人死亡，

and of those, around a quarter will want to be buried.

其中，大約四分之一的人希望被土葬。

But the UK, like many Western European countries,

但是在英國，和許多西歐的國家一樣，

is running out of burial space,

都快要沒有埋葬的土地。

especially in the major cities.

特別是在各大主要城市。

And the Greater London Authority has been aware of this for a while,

大倫敦當權者早就 意識到這一點了，

and the main causes are population growth,

主要的原因是人口成長，

the fact that existing cemeteries are almost full.

以及現存墓地容量幾乎全滿。

There's a custom in the UK that graves are considered to be occupied forever,

英國有一個不成文慣例， 墳墓被認為是可永久佔有的，

and there's also development pressure -- people want to use that same land

但是也有發展的壓力 － 人們也想利用同樣的地

to build houses or offices or shops.

來蓋房子，辦公室，或店面。

So they came up with a few solutions.

所以，他們想出幾個辦法。

They were like, well, maybe we can reuse those graves after 50 years.

一個是，或許我們可以重新使用 已經埋了50年以上的墳墓。

Or maybe we can bury people, like, four deep,

或者，或許我們在同一塊地

so that four people can be buried in the same plot,

的四個不同深度埋四個人，

and we can make more efficient use of the land that way,

這樣就可以更有效率地使用那塊地，

and in that way, hopefully London will still have space to bury people

這樣做之後，希望倫敦在短期內

還擁有足夠的墓地來埋葬人。

in the near future.

But, traditionally, cemeteries haven't been taken care of

但是，傳統上，墓地從來沒有

by the local authority.

被地方當權者重視過。

In fact, the surprising thing is that there's no legal obligation

事實上，令人意想不到的是，

在英國任何人都沒有法律義務 必須要提供安葬空間。

on anyone in the UK to provide burial space.

Traditionally, it's been done by private and religious organizations,

傳統上，都是私人和宗教組織在提供，

like churches and mosques and synagogues.

比如教堂、清真寺以及猶太會堂，

But there's also occasionally been a for-profit group

但偶爾也會有盈利組織 想要插花搞一下。

who has wanted to get in on the act.

And, you know, they look at the small size of a burial plot

他們專注在小尺寸、

and that high cost,

高單價的墓地，

and it looks like there's serious money to be made.

這看起來似乎真的很有搞頭。

So, actually, if you want to go out and start your own cemetery,

所以，事實上， 如果你想開始經營自己的墳場，

you kind of can.

你是可以辦到的。

There was this couple in South Wales,

有這麼一對南威爾士的夫妻，

and they had a farmhouse and a load of fields next to it,

他們有一個農舍，旁邊還有一大片地，

and they wanted to develop the land.

他們想要開發這塊地。

They had a load of ideas.

他們有很多的想法，

They first thought about making a caravan park,

他們第一個想法是 做一個露營車公園，

but the council said no.

但是地方議會說不行。

And then they wanted to make a fish farm

然後他們想弄一個養魚場，

and again the council said no.

地方議會還是說不行。

Then they hit on the idea of making a cemetery

然後他們想到了蓋墳場的主意，

and they calculated that by doing this,

他們計算過，如果這樣做

they could increase the value of their land

可以提升他們的土地價值。

from about 95,000 pounds to over one million pounds.

大概從 9.5萬英磅提升到 超過100萬英磅。

But just to come back to this idea of making profit from cemeteries,

但....回過頭來想想， 這個透過墳場來獲利的主意

like, it's kind of ludicrous, right?

好像有點荒唐可笑，對吧？

The thing is that the high cost of those burial plots

事情是這樣的，這些墓地的高單價

is actually very misleading.

其實非常誤導人。

They look like they're expensive,

它們看起來似乎很貴，

but that cost reflects the fact that you need to maintain the burial plot --

但這個價格也反映出一個事實 --你需要去維護這些墓地，

like, someone has to cut the grass for the next 50 years.

比如說，在接下來的50年裡 需要有人去除草。

That means it's very difficult to make money from cemeteries.

那就意味著很難從墓園中賺到錢。

And it's the reason that normally they're run by the council

這也是為什麼通常 這些墓園是被地方議會

or by a not-for-profit group.

或者非盈利組織經營。

But anyway, the council granted these people permission,

但不管怎麼說， 這些人獲得了地方議會的批准，

and they're now trying to build their cemetery.

他們正在試著建造他們的墓園。

So just to explain to you kind of how this works:

跟你們解釋一下這件事是如何操作的：

If I want to build something in the UK,

在英國，如果我想蓋個什麼東西，

like a cemetery for example,

比如說一個墓園，

then I have to apply for planning permission first.

那麼我首先得申請規劃許可，

So if I want to build a new office building for a client

因此如果我想幫客戶 蓋一棟新的辦公大樓

or if I want to extend my home

或是擴建自己的房屋，

or, you know, if I have a shop and I want to convert it into an office,

或者，如果我有一個商店， 想把它改成辦公室，

I have to do a load of drawings,

我得畫很多圖，

and I submit them to the council for permission.

然後提交到地方議會去批准，

And they'll look at things like how it fits in the surroundings.

然後他們會調查它與 周圍的環境是否搭配，

So they'll look at what it looks like.

所以他們會仔細看 這個規劃長什麼樣子。

But they'll also think about things like what impact is it going to have

但他們也會考慮 這將來會給當地環境

on the local environment?

帶來什麼樣的影響？

And they'll be thinking about things like,

他們也會考慮，比如說

is this thing going to cause pollution

這個規劃會導致污染嗎？

or is there going to be a lot of traffic

或者會不會有很大的交通流量

that wants to go to this thing that I've built?

湧向我蓋好的標的物？

But also good things.

但也會考慮正面的影響，

Is it going to add local services like shops to the neighborhood

它附近是否會增加像是商店這類

that local people would like to use?

本地居民會想使用的服務設施？

And they'll weigh up the advantages and the disadvantages

之後他們會權衡利弊，

and they'll make a decision.

然後做出決定。

So that's how it works if I want to build a large cemetery.

所以，如果我想蓋一座大型墓園， 就得這樣操作。

But what if I've got a piece of land

但是如果我有一塊地，

and I just want to bury a few people, like five or six?

而我只想在裡面埋葬少數的人， 例如5或6個，又會怎樣？

Well, then -- actually, I don't need permission from anyone!

那麼，事實上，我不需要任何人批准！

There's actually almost no regulation in the UK around burial,

在英國實際上幾乎沒有 殯葬的相關規定，

and the little bit that there is, is about not polluting water courses,

僅有的一點就是，不能污染水源，

like not polluting rivers or groundwater.

比如說不能污染河流或者地下水。

So actually, if you want to go and make your own mini-cemetery,

所以，如果你想建造你的小墓園，

then you can.

是沒問題的。

But I mean, like -- really, who does this? Right?

但我的意思是，說真的， 誰會這樣做？對吧？

如果你是一個貴族家庭 並且擁有大片土地，

Well, if you're an aristocratic family and you have a large estate,

then there's a chance that you'll have a mausoleum on it,

那麼你有機會蓋一個陵墓，

and you'll bury your family there.

並將你的家族成員埋葬於此。

But the really weird thing

但真正奇怪的是

is that you don't need to have a piece of land of a certain size

在你要開始埋葬一個人之前，

before you're allowed to start burying people on it.

你不需要擁有一塊某種大小的地。

And so that means that, technically,

也就是說，技術上，

this applies to, like, the back garden of your house in the suburbs.

在你郊區家中的後花園也可以。

(Laughter)

( 笑聲 )

So what if you wanted to try this yourself at home?

所以，如果你想要自己在家搞墓園， 要怎麼做呢?

Well, there's a few councils that have guidance on their website

是的，有一些地方議會網站上

是有些指引可以幫助你的。

which can help you.

So, the first thing that they tell you

第一件事情他們會告訴你，

is that you need to have a certificate of burial before you can go ahead --

在開始之前，你必須要有埋葬證書 －

you're not allowed to just murder people and put them under the patio.

謀殺某些人然後把他們 埋在天井是行不通的。

(Laughter)

( 笑聲 )

他們也會告訴，你要把 墳墓的位置紀錄下來。

They also tell you that you need to keep a record of where the grave is.

But that's pretty much it for formal requirements.

但這些只是正式的要求。

Now, they do warn you that your neighbors might not like this,

他們還會警告你， 你的鄰居可能不會喜歡，

but, legally speaking, there's almost nothing that they can do about it.

但就法律而言， 他們幾乎一點也沒輒。

And just in case any of you still had that profit idea in your mind

但萬一你們任何人之中 仍有想賺錢的念頭呢？

about how much those burial plots cost

例如，這些墓地要花多少成本，

and how much money you might be able to make,

然後大概可以賺多少，

they also warn that it might cause the value of your house

他們也會警告你， 你的計劃可能會造成房價

to drop by 20 percent.

下跌20%。

Although, actually, it's more likely

雖然事實上，在那之後 大概也沒人會想買你的房子

that no one will want to buy your house at all after that.

所以，我發現這件事迷人的地方

So what I find fascinating about this

is the fact that it kind of sums up many of our attitudes towards death.

就是它可以歸納出 社會大眾面對死亡的態度。

在英國，而我想在歐洲 應該也是差不多的數字，

In the UK, and I think that the figures across Europe are probably similar,

only about 30 percent of people have ever talked to anyone

只有30%的人曾經與其他人 談論過關於死亡這件事的願望，

about their wishes around death,

and even for people over 75,

甚至是超過75歲的人，

only 45 percent of people have ever talked about this.

只有45%的人曾經討論過死亡。

And the reasons that people give ... you know,

而人們給的答案就是...你知道的，

他們認為死亡離自己還很遠，

they think that their death is far off

or they think that they're going to make people uncomfortable

或者他們認為，談論死亡 會讓對方不舒服。

by talking about it.

And you know, to a certain extent,

而你也知道，在某種程度上，

there are other people out there who are taking care of things for us.

還有其他人在替我們關心這些事，

The government has all this regulation and bureaucracy around things

政府有整套相關的規範及制度，

like burying a death, for example,

例如，死亡埋葬法，

and there's people like funeral directors

還有葬儀社的人

who devote their entire working lives to this issue.

貢獻他們所有的生命在這些事上。

But when it comes to our cities

但一談到我們的城市，

and thinking about how death fits in our cities,

並想想死亡如何融入於我們的城市，

there's much less regulation and design and thought

那些規範、設計及想法 比我們想像的還要少，

than we might imagine.

所以，我們現在沒有在想這些事，

So we're not thinking about this,

but all of the people we imagine are thinking about it --

而且在我們想像中， 在想這些事情的人 －

they're not taking care of it either.

基本上，他們也不會在乎的。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)