Seo Eun-hee, Seocho District Mayor, Proposes Urban Regeneration Paradigm of 'One Seoul, Multi-Core City'

Seo Eun-hee, Mayor of Seocho District, Delivers Keynote on 'One Seoul, Polycentric City and Seoul U-Green Plan'... Shares Necessity and Benefits of Elevated Arterial Roads in Major Cities Seoul and Busan, Discusses Strategies to Enhance Urban Competitiveness

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Seocho-gu District Office (Mayor Jo Eun-hee) will host a forum jointly organized by the offices of National Assembly members Lee Heon-seung (Busanjin-gu Eul) and Yoon Hee-sook (Seoul Seocho-gap) on the topic of “Elevating Major Urban Arterial Roads and Enhancing Urban Competitiveness” (Subtitle: Focusing on the Underground (Three-dimensional) Development of Arterial Roads in Seoul and Busan) at 2 p.m. on the 10th in the 2nd Conference Room of the National Assembly Members’ Office Building in Yeouido.

The forum, which will be simultaneously broadcast online live, will feature Seocho-gu Mayor Jo Eun-hee delivering a keynote presentation titled “One Seoul, Polycentric City and Seoul U-Green Plan.”

In her presentation, Mayor Jo will propose a new paradigm for urban regeneration aimed at balanced development across the entire city of Seoul, alongside the effects of the three-dimensional (underground) development of the Gyeongbu Expressway.

Specifically, she will introduce the concept of a “polycentric city,” where Seoul’s 25 autonomous districts are connected as one city with multiple centers, fostering collective development.

Seoul is not a simple city divided into Gangnam and Gangbuk; rather, it is a mega-city of 10 million people with a polycentric structure, where various small and medium-sized cities are linked through education, culture, and transportation.

Along with close connections among these polycentric cities, new practical measures will be announced to transform and connect the urban spaces of Seoul, which have been divided north-south and east-west, through the Big Dig Plan. This includes three-dimensional (underground) projects for the Gyeongbu Expressway, Gyeongbu Line railway (Seoul Station to Guro Station), Subway Lines 1 and 2, and the Dongbu Arterial Road.

The Gyeongbu Expressway three-dimensional development, the main focus of the day’s discussion, has been a subject of long-standing public deliberation. The Gyeongbu Expressway, the arterial highway starting in Seocho-gu and considered the main artery of South Korea, has suffered from chronic congestion and has failed to function effectively as an intercity arterial road.

This three-dimensional development project is feasible by utilizing private funds without public financial input, and it can also address housing issues by supplying public housing through the use of buffer green spaces created by resolving traffic problems.

On the 28th of last month, the district also held a symposium related to the “Gyeongbu Expressway Three-dimensional Development,” where experts shared their ideas on the project.

Additionally, in Busan Metropolitan City, the terminus of the Gyeongbu Expressway, discussions will focus on plans for underground development of deep-level expressways between Sasang and Haeundae, and between Mandeok and Centum, aiming to alleviate chronic traffic congestion and promote balanced urban development.

The forum presentations will cover two main topics: “Seoul City Gyeongbu Expressway Three-dimensional Master Plan” (Lee Jeong-hyung, Professor at Chung-Ang University) and “Securing Urban Competitiveness through Busan City Arterial Road Three-dimensional Development” (Kim Jong-gu, Professor at Pusan National University).

Following the presentations, a panel discussion will be moderated by Je Hae-seong, Professor Emeritus at Ajou University and former Chair of the National Architecture Policy Committee, with participation from experts including Seo Chung-won, Professor of Real Estate and Construction at Kangnam University; Kim Gap-sung, Professor of Urban Engineering at Yonsei University; and Kim Young-chan, Professor of Transportation Engineering at the University of Seoul.

The forum will be held with a minimal number of attendees due to COVID-19 and will be simultaneously broadcast live on the Seocho-gu YouTube channel.

Mayor Jo Eun-hee of Seocho-gu stated, “The Green Big Dig project through the three-dimensional development of major urban expressways is expected to transform Seoul’s urban space attractively while enhancing the city’s future competitiveness.”

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