Cemeteries and crematoria, forgotten public space in multicultural Europe. An agenda for inclusion and citizenship

In western Europe, municipal or otherwise state-commissioned cemeteries and crematoria are public spaces services, open to all. Cemeteries grounds neglected in geographical, planning policy debates about the character, design, management, use accessibility of spaces, likewise social inclusion migrants minorities. This may reflect a tendency situate socially geographically peripheries contemporary European society, but they are, nonetheless, sites vital health infrastructure, as well being highly significant symbolic, religious-spiritual, secular-sacred, emotionally laden places. Examining cemeteries-crematoria against criteria inclusive space provides new insights into (1) nature its governance; (2) rights barriers shared associated infrastructure everyday multicultural contexts; (3) national–local negotiations majority-minorities relations cultural practices through spaces; (4) need place centre stage scholarship on which is culturally serves all citizens.