Seoul lays out new plan to renovate the city by 2030

The Seoul city government announced a plan to renovate and commercialize the older and more dilapidated areas in the northeastern, northwestern and southwestern parts of the city by 2030.

About 81 percent of the renovation plan is focused on these areas, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said in its press release on Monday. “We will also be expanding a total of about 1.92 million square meters (474.4 acre) area, equal to about 145 Seoul Plazas in size, into commercial zones throughout the city, to balance the commercial centers that are currently very focused in Gangnam District, southern Seoul.”

The city government divided the map of the city into 116 areas, and the plan is to renovate the city in a decentralized manner by devising a plan for each area according to the needs and lifestyles of residents.

“The new plan is the result of more than 1,000 internal meetings, more than 200 meetings with local governments and 180 meetings with experts, and some 6,000 citizens have been involved in creation of this plan,” Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said in a press briefing at City Hall in central Seoul. “Until now, city renovation plans tended to be led by experts, but the city government is doing something new this time in involving residents’ voices and their lifestyles to renovate areas according to their needs.”

The city government said the new renovation plan is a follow-up on the 2030 Seoul Plan, a renovation plan announced in 2014, but a more detailed version of how exactly the Seoul Metropolitan Government is going to cooperate with local residents and governments to renovate and commercialize the more dilapidated areas in the city.

“Within the 2030 Seoul Plan, smaller plans for each area of the 116 areas will be drafted up,” the city government said. “And these plans will be divided across seven sectors, namely, urban space, working environment, residential area, traffics, safety and security, history and culture and tourism, and education and welfare.

“For example, to improve the traffic system of Sinnae-dong and Mangu-dong of Jungnang District, eastern Seoul, more connected pedestrian roads and elevators for subway stations will have to be planned,” the city government said in its statement. “To improve the culture and tourism aspect of the area, the plan will include renovation of the Manguri Park and now-closed Yongma Land amusement park.”

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]