Seoul City Expands and Renovates 2.06 Million㎡ Park Green Space, 9 Times Larger Than Yeouido Park... "Resolving Regional Imbalance"

Expanding Park Green Spaces in Areas with Low Park Green Index... Resolving Regional Imbalances and Enhancing Park Services

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to expand and renovate a total of 2.06 million square meters of parks and green spaces in various forms by 2026 in the southwestern, northwestern, and southeastern areas, where park green spaces are relatively lacking. This is about nine times the size of Yeouido Park (230,000㎡). The plan aims to resolve the imbalance of park green spaces between regions and strengthen park services.

On the 24th, Seoul announced that in the southwestern area, which has the lowest park green space indicators among the five living zones, it will discover and utilize public idle land to create 15 hub parks totaling 100,000㎡, allowing local residents to enjoy green space rights more broadly. Additionally, compensation land for long-unexecuted urban parks will be developed into community-oriented parks, with five sites (60,000㎡) planned for this year.

The southwestern area is considered a representative park green space vulnerable area due to the concentration of old urban areas and semi-industrial zones, as well as a high proportion of roads and transportation facilities. To address this imbalance, the city will actively utilize idle public land such as the relocated recycling center site and IC green belts to newly create 15 hub parks (100,000㎡). Starting with three sites this year, these parks will be gradually returned to citizens by 2026. Approximately 30 billion KRW will be invested intensively.

Furthermore, for 850,000㎡ of compensation land for long-unexecuted urban parks, which suffer from poor landscape due to unauthorized buildings and cultivated land and damage adjacent to residential areas, the city plans to create community-oriented leisure and healing spaces annually by 2026. This year, five sites (totaling 60,000㎡) in four southwestern districts (Guro, Gwanak, Yangcheon, Gangseo) will be developed. The five community-oriented parks to be created this year are ▲ Onsu Neighborhood Park in Sansan 4-3, Onsu-dong, Guro-gu ▲ Two Gwanaksan Neighborhood Parks in Bongcheon-dong and Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu ▲ Onsu Neighborhood Park in 350-31, Sinwol-dong, Yangcheon-gu ▲ Yeomchang Neighborhood Park in 30-64, Yeomchang-dong, Gangseo-gu.

In the northwestern area, forest-type parks favored by local residents such as Bongsan, Ansan, and Baekryeonsan, as well as various green paths including the Bukhansan Dulle-gil, Ansan Barrier-Free Trail, and Hongjecheon Stream Trail, will be connected and green spaces further expanded. A key project is to utilize Baekryeon Neighborhood Park and Bongsan Healing Forest to create a large-scale experiential park of 1 million square meters and develop it into a representative park landmark of the northwestern area.

Baekryeon Neighborhood Park, located where Eunpyeong-gu and Seodaemun-gu meet, will be reborn as a 780,000㎡ ‘theme-type complex healing park’ featuring oak and cherry blossom forests and a children's forest experience center. The basic plan will be established this year, and phased development by area and theme will begin in 2023. A total of 4.8 km of trails including Baekryeonsan hiking trails, Ansan foothill paths, and Hongjecheon stream trails will also be maintained.

In the cypress forest area of Bongsan in Eunpyeong-gu, a ‘Healing Forest’ (230,000㎡) will be created to become a theme park representing the northwestern area. It will be linked with the already established cypress forest, observatory, pavilion, Nurimaru resting area, and surrounding walking and trail paths, allowing citizens to enjoy healing in the phytoncide-rich cypress forest.

In the southeastern area, ‘Wirye Lake Park,’ the largest waterfront park with an area of 199,000㎡, equivalent to 28 soccer fields, will be developed. ‘Wirye Lake Park’ is a donated park located within the Wirye housing district. The city plans to take over the first phase (175,000㎡) in July and open it to the public first, then acquire the remaining part (24,000㎡) in the second phase by 2025. The acquired park will feature various water facilities, water playgrounds, sports facilities, a children's forest experience center, playgrounds, and waterfront walking paths to allow visitors to enjoy ecological environments and healing.

Yu Young-bong, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Green City Bureau, said, “Starting with the southwestern area, where resolving the imbalance of park green spaces is most urgent, we will gradually improve park green space services considering the conditions of each zone. Since park green spaces are directly linked to residents’ quality of life, we will densely expand them focusing on vulnerable areas to resolve regional imbalances and realize community-oriented parks.”

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