Park Young-sun, Third Pledge in Seoul's Great Transformation Series: 'Vertical Garden City'

'21-Minute Compact City' 'Subscription Economy City' Followed by Proposal for 'Vertical Garden City'
Establishing as a Seoul Landmark
Future Residential Model Enabling One-Stop Healthcare

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] Park Young-sun, former Minister of SMEs and Startups, who is running for Seoul mayor, announced the third pledge in the 'Seoul Grand Transformation' series on the 9th: the 'Vertical Garden City.'

Park Young-sun, a preliminary candidate for the Seoul mayor from the Democratic Party of Korea, is being interviewed on the 4th at the CH Building in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

At a non-face-to-face policy briefing held at the Anguk Building campaign office in Anguk-dong, Jongno-gu, former Minister Park stated, "We will create a Seoul-style vertical garden in the 21-minute compact city and introduce smart farm technology to enable the life of urban farmers."

She explained that through this, they aim to take a big step toward a carbon-neutral city that not only supplies good food but also simultaneously solves issues related to exercise, healthcare, and housing, thereby improving quality of life and addressing environmental problems.

Candidate Park said, "The 21-minute compact city Seoul can resolve the concentration phenomenon in Gangnam and Gangbuk downtown areas, solving housing prices and commercial rent issues. Through green decentralized distribution via the subscription economy, it guarantees fixed and stable income for small business owners, and enables seniors and people with disabilities to receive healthcare at home instead of facilities."

The ten core resources included in the 21-minute compact city are ▲ Seoul-style specialized economic zones and jobs ▲ Regional healthcare centers (one-stop healthcare) ▲ High-quality public hospitals and Seoul-designated hospitals through public-private cooperation ▲ Care welfare centers ▲ Cultural and artistic facilities, libraries ▲ Public sports facilities, health fitness ▲ Village buses, bicycles, kickboards, and walkable promenades ▲ Electric vehicles and hydrogen charging stations ▲ Vertical gardens (urban farms linked with jobs, housing, and smart farms, urban parks) ▲ Online work support centers.

The proposed vertical garden city is an eco-friendly urban space where residential functions, green environments, and basic living services are integrally implemented.

According to former Minister Park's team, it transforms the urban environment into green spaces, reduces the heat island effect, purifies city air, and provides building insulation effects.

In this high-density city, parks are verticalized to create spiral walking paths with vertical trees for exercise and strolls, and spaces combining single-person housing, offices, and smart farms enable the life of urban farmers.

Former Minister Park plans to landmark the vertical garden city as the first step toward a carbon-neutral era and establish Vertical Garden Light Houses throughout Seoul within the 21-minute compact city.

This vertical garden city will prioritize youth, newlyweds, the elderly, essential workers, and the homeless. Public facilities such as emergency medical facilities, small libraries, and care centers will be located on lower floors, while residential facilities will be on middle and upper floors, making the Vertical Garden Light House Seoul's future housing form where one-stop healthcare is especially accessible for the elderly.

Architect Cho Shin-hyung, who participated in the announcement, explained the role of vertical gardens and the smart farm system under the theme 'Vertical Garden Wind Path.'

He said, "The wind paths created by vertical gardens not only function as air purifiers removing fine dust but also eliminate the heat island effect, creating necessary spaces for citizens and places to rest, thereby realizing the meaning of public architecture."

Professor Lee Kyung-hoon of Kookmin University presented on 'Community Recovery and Commercial Area Recovery and Urban Space Transformation for Small Business Owners' in the 21-minute compact city, while Professor Lee Myung-joo of Myongji University proposed the 'Clover Garden' utilizing 38 'traffic islands'?hidden lands in interchanges?for public community facilities and housing under the theme 'Let's Buy Value.'

Former Minister Park emphasized, "If Seoul followed New York's standard of the past 100 years with a downtown-centered concentration, now the answer is a green decentralized city where workplaces and living spaces can be resolved within 21 minutes. The vertical garden city will be a landmark of the 21-minute compact city Seoul that is sustainable in the COVID-19 era and realizes a carbon-zero city responding to the climate change crisis, becoming the hope for future Seoul."

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