Gwangju City, Promotion of Top 10 Priority Policies in Urban and Architectural Fields for 2021

Gwangju Station Economic Base-Type Urban Regeneration and Innovation District Development Begins in Earnest

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 31st that it will focus all its capabilities on creating a future-oriented urban space, setting the direction of urban regeneration this year on ‘citizen empathy’ and ‘Gwangju-ness.’

On the same day, the city presented the top 10 priority urban regeneration policies for 2021 to realize ‘Gwangju as a premium design city and art city.’

▲ Starting with the remodeling project of Eoullim Factory, which began construction on the 26th, the city will actively promote the economic base-type urban regeneration and innovation district development around Gwangju Station.

In the area around Gwangju Station, where urban functions have seriously declined due to the suspension of KTX operations, the city will promote economic base-type New Deal projects and urban regeneration innovation district projects centered on ‘Station G,’ a hub space for prospective entrepreneurs, and ‘Eoullim Factory,’ a support facility for small business owners. This will concentrate start-ups and innovative companies and establish the foundation of an innovation hub equipped with pleasant living conditions.

▲ The city will accelerate the realization of a high-density innovation space by promoting the Gwangju Urban Convergence Special Zone in the Sangmu district, equipped with complex infrastructure including industry, housing, and culture.

Through the creation of a future growth industry ecosystem, the city aims to create 10,000 new innovative jobs, establish a lifestyle-customized living environment, develop a smart green environment for the future, and create an innovation hub where challenges become routine.

▲ To lay the foundation for these large-scale projects to be promoted in a demand-oriented manner, the city will establish the citizen-participatory 2040 Gwangju Basic Urban Plan and an urban landscape plan in cooperation with citizens.

The city will meticulously plan the creation of a green urban space with Gwangju’s unique dignity by seeking new approaches in response to changes in urban policy and establishing a bottom-up urban plan through communication with citizens.

▲ The city will implement a green building project for a carbon-zero society by 2045 to realize a green city. This project targets 17 public buildings, including national and public daycare centers, health centers, and public medical facilities, that have been completed for over 10 years, and plans to gradually expand the scope through recommendations to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

▲ By activating the chief architect and public architect systems, the city will promote Gwangju-style premium urban architectural policies and the Art City Gwangju project to create an urban landscape with artistic elements unique to Gwangju, enhancing the value and dignity of urban buildings.

▲ To stabilize housing for middle-class and lower-income households without homes who are struggling due to rising house prices and rental difficulties, the city will build Gwangju-style lifelong housing. As a first-phase pilot project, 500 units will be supplied preferentially for youth, newlyweds, and households without homes that have minor children.

▲ To promptly respond to the rapid increase of housing crisis households such as single-person households, youth, and the elderly, and to discover blind spots in housing welfare, the city will improve accessibility for vulnerable housing demanders by installing and operating demand-tailored housing welfare centers.

▲ To promote transparent and fair urban maintenance projects that protect original residents and reflect residents’ demands and regional characteristics, the city will implement various systems such as an online voting system.

▲ To eradicate real estate speculation, the city will further strengthen joint inspections and special project police activities to establish transparent and sound real estate transaction order.

▲ The city will pursue prior negotiations to ensure that the urban planning change for the former Jeonbang and Ilsin Textile factory sites is established as a plan containing public interest values that contribute to preserving historical and cultural assets and dignified urban development, following procedures and regulations.

Lee Sang-bae, Director of the Urban Regeneration Bureau of Gwangju City, said, “We will focus all our capabilities on promoting urban regeneration policies that citizens can feel and that can change citizens’ lives, so that the ‘just and prosperous Gwangju’ we pursue can be realized.”

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