Inconvenient Hills in Seoul, Taking the Elevator to Go

Seoul City Launches 'Hill Area Mobility Improvement Project'
Resident Proposals Begin from the 16th

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] Seoul City announced on the 15th that it will officially launch the 'Hilly Area Mobility Improvement Project.' The project aims to enhance citizens' mobility convenience by introducing new transportation systems such as inclined elevators or monorails in hilly areas where steep slopes make access difficult by foot or vehicle. Seoul plans to select around eight locations and complete installations by the end of next year.

Seoul City will promote the project through a 'resident proposal system' to create changes that actual residents can feel. Local residents can directly suggest where and what type of transportation should be installed.

The Hilly Area Mobility Improvement Project is one of the key components of the 'Regional Balanced Development Policy Plan' announced by former Mayor Park Won-soon after living for a month in Samyang-dong, Gangbuk-gu in 2018. Last year, during a Latin America tour, Mayor Park personally rode escalators and cable cars installed in high-altitude areas of Colombia to seek policy ideas for new transportation systems.

The resident proposal period for this project will run from the 17th until March 6th. Participation is open to groups of three or more residents from the same autonomous district, as well as organizations within Seoul (nonprofit private organizations, cooperatives, social enterprises, etc.).

Eligible project sites include areas densely populated with low-rise housing or where many transportation-vulnerable residents live, areas requiring long detours to reach subway stations or bus stops, and areas with numerous staircases to climb.

When applying for the proposal project, residents must submit an application form including ?project purpose ?content ?expected effects, among other details.

Subsequently, the city will form a separate selection committee to review documents and conduct on-site inspections of resident-proposed projects, selecting around eight target sites by March. By June, a basic plan will be established, followed by basic and detailed designs from July to October. Construction will begin within this year and installations are planned to be completed by December next year. The project budget is approximately 3 billion KRW per site, totaling 24 billion KRW.

The city plans to evaluate the project results and gradually expand mobility facilities to hilly areas throughout Seoul starting in 2022.

Kang Maeng-hoon, Director of Seoul City Urban Regeneration Office, said, “We are conducting the resident proposal system to actively gather opinions from residents living in hilly areas and to select sites where mobility convenience is most needed. We will do our best to successfully carry out the project and expand mobility facilities to hilly areas across Seoul, improving citizens' quality of life.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.