Gangdong-gu 'Urban Farming Village' Garaeyeoul Keeps Pace with Surrounding Changes

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Yuri] A maintenance plan is expected to be prepared for the area around 'Garaeyeoul' in Gangil-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, known as a 'rural area within the city.'

According to the maintenance industry on the 23rd, Gangdong-gu recently launched a field survey to establish the current status and development plan for the 457,663㎡ greenbelt area around Garaeyeoul. The district plans to propose a maintenance plan for the area by investigating the status of greenbelt land and related applicable regulations.

'Garaeyeoul' is named for the abundance of hackberry trees along the riverbank. Due to its location on the boundary of Seoul and along the Han River, the area is designated as a greenbelt and water source protection zone, severely restricting development. It currently consists of a village with about 100 residents and farmland, and is considered a representative underdeveloped area, with city gas only recently being introduced.

On the other hand, large-scale development is ongoing in the surrounding areas. The Godeok-Gangil district, located across from Garaeyeoul and the Olympic Bridge, is Seoul's last large-scale housing development district, currently being developed with a total of 11,560 households across 14 blocks in districts 1 to 3. The aging Jugong apartments in the nearby Godeok-dong area have been redeveloped into a new town-scale residential area with about 20,000 households. The area's business functions have also been significantly strengthened through the creation of advanced business and engineering complex districts. Transportation infrastructure is rapidly expanding, with the first phase extension of Subway Line 5 from Misa to Hanam Pungsan opening this year, and the fourth phase extension of Subway Line 9 connecting Jungangbohun Station to Godeok Gangil District 1 is also being actively promoted. A Gangdong-gu official said, "We planned this field survey to actively respond to changes in the surrounding areas," adding, "We will seek ways for the Garaeyeoul area to harmonize with the surrounding development zones."

However, since development in the area is strictly restricted, Gangdong-gu explained that it will review the feasibility of land use within the scope of preserving the environmental value of Garaeyeoul in accordance with relevant laws and from an urban planning perspective. The district stated, "Specific plans will be considered after completing the related project scheduled for about three months starting this month," and added, "Through the investigation of land use status within the greenbelt, we will seek reasonable development plans for the greenbelt area in the future."

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