Natural Healing in the City!...Jungnang-gu 'Urban Agriculture Complex Space' Groundbreaking Ceremony

[Seoul District News] Jungnang-gu to invest 3 billion KRW to build a 2-story, 615㎡ urban agriculture complex space in Shinnae-dong Cheongnam Park, expected to serve as 'Jungnang-gu Urban Agriculture Activity Hub'; completion targeted for December... Gangseo-gu offers 'Ogok Garden Farm' for urban agriculture experience... Dongdaemun-gu renovates Jungnangcheon Urban Agriculture Experience Learning Center, opening April 1

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Jungnang-gu (Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) held a groundbreaking ceremony on the 25th for the ‘Urban Agriculture Complex Space,’ a hub for urban farmers' activities, within Cheongnam Park.

The ‘Urban Agriculture Complex Space Project’ was selected in 2019 as part of Seoul City's regional urban agriculture complex space support project, making Jungnang-gu the third autonomous district in Seoul to implement it.

The district will invest a total budget of 3 billion KRW to construct a building with a total floor area of 615㎡ and two above-ground floors at Cheongnam Park (256-14, Sinnae 1-dong), aiming for completion in December.

The Jungnang-gu Urban Agriculture Complex Space will include a ‘Community Kitchen’ where harvested crops can be cooked directly, an ‘Urban Farmer Education Center’ for urban agriculture-related education and seminars, a ‘Book Cafe’ for rest and small group activities, an ‘Indoor Forest Experience Center’ for child visitors, and a ‘Seed Library’ where native seeds can be borrowed. It is expected to become an activity hub for urban farmers accessible to anyone interested in urban agriculture.

Additionally, various educational and experiential programs linked to garden plots will be offered for all ages, from infants to adults, including urban farmer school, therapeutic agriculture education, and expert training courses.

Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, said, “I hope the Urban Agriculture Complex Space will become a hub for urban agriculture activities and a resting place for Jungnang residents. We will continue to do our best to expand the base of urban agriculture so that Jungnang-gu can firmly establish itself as the mecca of urban agriculture in Seoul, allowing residents to heal through urban farming.”

Gangseo-gu, Seoul (Mayor Noh Hyun-song) announced that it will lease garden plots for residents dreaming of becoming urban farmers.

As the COVID-19 pandemic prolongs and everyone grows weary, this initiative aims to help people find relaxation in daily life and enjoy healthy leisure activities through urban agriculture.

According to the recently released 2021 Gangseo-gu social survey, residents increasingly show interest in gardening, with garden plot operation being the most preferred urban agriculture experience activity.

Accordingly, the district decided to lease the Ogok Garden Farm located at 417-2 Ogok-dong to residents.

Ogok Garden Farm is an eco-friendly farming experience site equipped with garden plots, a resting area for residents, restrooms, and other convenient facilities, making it suitable for individuals as well as family farming experiences.

The district will accept applications for 480 garden plots at Ogok Garden Farm from March 2 to March 7. Any resident living in Gangseo-gu can apply.

The plots available for lease are 420 plots of 10㎡ and 60 plots of 16.5㎡, with only one plot per person (household) allowed. The participation fee is 30,000 KRW for 10㎡ plots and 50,000 KRW for 16.5㎡ plots.

Residents wishing to apply can visit the Gangseo-gu website and apply through the ‘Communication and Participation - Event Registration - Online Application’ menu.

The district will select 480 applicants (households) through a random computerized lottery and announce the results on March 14 at 3 p.m. via the Gangseo-gu website.

Selected participants can use their leased garden plots from April 2 to November 30. However, to practice eco-friendly urban agriculture, the use of chemical materials such as fertilizers and pesticides is prohibited.

A district official said, “We hope the urban garden farm in the city will provide new vitality to weary daily lives and serve as an educational space to teach our children the value of crops. We look forward to the enthusiastic interest and active participation of residents dreaming of becoming urban farmers.”

Yoo Deok-yeol, Mayor of Dongdaemun District (first from the left), is planting seedlings with residents at the Jungnangcheon Urban Agriculture Experience Learning Center.

Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol) has begun preparations ahead of the opening of the Jungnangcheon Urban Agriculture Experience Center on April 1.

Since 2013, the district has operated the Jungnangcheon Urban Agriculture Experience Center on about 4,500㎡ (630 plots) of riverside land between Jangpyeong Bridge and Jangan Bridge. However, as the number of residents wishing to participate increased, an additional 2,000㎡ (270 plots) urban agriculture experience center was created from Jangan Bridge toward Gyeomjae Bridge at the end of last year.

The district is currently working on maintenance to ensure that residents can use the newly renovated Jungnangcheon Urban Agriculture Experience Center safely and conveniently.

On February 10, soil samples were collected and sent to the Seoul Institute of Health and Environment for soil safety testing. New facilities such as pergolas, rope fences, and outdoor tables will be installed in the newly added area of the Jungnangcheon Urban Agriculture Experience Center.

With the addition of 270 plots, the recruitment capacity increased from 630 last year to 900 this year. As a result, the average competition rate dropped from about 4:1 (2,555 applicants) to about 3:1 (2,725 applicants).

Yoo Deok-yeol, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, said, “As the number of residents wanting to use the urban agriculture experience center increases every year, we created additional space to provide more opportunities. We will not only maintain convenience facilities in the newly created area but also continue to gather residents' opinions to improve usability and satisfaction.”

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