Who knew that the former landfill was filled with such potential? In actuality, recent efforts have already begun to tap the renewable possibilities at Fresh Kills. Among the activities begun since the dump’s closing is the harnessing of methane from the garbage now buried beneath the surface, which is able to provide enough energy to power 22,000 homes. The LAGI design competition now stands to build upon this commitment to pursuing Earth-minded solutions in a place once known to be anything but fresh in the natural sense.
     The barges transporting heaping piles of garbage are gone. The remaining refuse will decompose over time, contained beneath layers of soil, stone, and plastic, with native grasses growing on top. And what will likely reemerge is the latent beauty of the setting, obscured by decades of ruination. So if prospective entrants in the competition seek inspiration for a land art design that achieves both visible magnificence and an inner vision for ecological progress, they can look no further than the park itself, where what seemed to have been killed long ago is now springing back to life.