Mapo-gu Supports Roadside Tree Management to Create Clean Urban Forests

[Seoul District News] Mapo-gu Supports 50% of Work Costs for Maintenance of Tall Trees Adjacent to Roads Over 20m Wide... Gangdong-gu Establishes 2022 Comprehensive Plan for Walkable and Safe Pedestrian Environment... Guro-gu Promotes Resident-Led Our Neighborhood Problem-Solving Project

Trees in front of the Yanghwa-ro shopping center

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) enacted an ordinance in 2017 prohibiting strong pruning of privately owned trees such as those in apartments and commercial buildings, and is maintaining the canopy width of urban trees through a roadside tree management support project.

According to the Korea Forest Service, creating one hectare of urban forest can absorb 46 kg of fine dust annually. The district is increasing the number of trees through a project to plant 5 million trees to create urban forests. However, if trees cannot function properly due to strong pruning, the effect of the tree planting project is halved.

Accordingly, since 2019, the district has been supporting pruning and maintenance of tall trees (over 4m) privately owned to prevent individuals from arbitrarily damaging tall trees and undermining their public functions.

This year as well, applications for the tree management support project have been accepted since the 7th. Eligible trees are tall trees adjacent to roads with a width of 20m or more. If the tree management responsible person wishes to prune or remove hazardous trees, they can check and fill out the application form in the ‘Notices and Announcements’ section on the Mapo-gu Office website and submit it by mail or email to the Parks and Greenery Division of Mapo-gu Office.

The management responsible person of the selected trees, chosen according to the priority selection criteria set by the district, can receive 50% support for the work cost.

Meanwhile, the district has designated March as the ‘Intensive Guidance Period for Preventing Unauthorized Damage to Tall Trees,’ sending notices to apartments and commercial buildings to promote the project and conducting inspections on ordinance violations through landscaping management surveys.

A district official said, “We will spare no policy support to protect and nurture trees that have many public functions such as reducing fine dust and mitigating urban heat island effects,” and added, “We ask for residents’ interest and participation to maintain the public and scenic functions of trees.”

Expansion of Protected Areas

Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jung-hoon) has established the ‘2022 Comprehensive Plan for Creating a Walkable and Safe Pedestrian Environment’ to prevent traffic accidents involving children and other vulnerable road users and to create a convenient walking environment for pedestrians.

Previously, the district designated six new or expanded protection zones, installed 17 speed enforcement cameras within protection zones, installed 62 smart crosswalks, and promoted eight unit projects for pedestrian safety of vulnerable road users. It also maintained 1,197 traffic safety facilities, repaired 41,458 meters of road markings, and improved four locations with frequent traffic accidents, among six unit projects, striving to create a safe pedestrian environment.

This year, Gangdong-gu will implement nine unit projects providing a safe traffic environment for vulnerable road users, including ▲protection zone expansion ▲children’s traffic safety guidance ▲speed enforcement camera installation ▲smart crosswalk installation ▲children’s boarding and alighting zone installation ▲protection zone facility maintenance ▲yellow carpet installation ▲school zone 532 ▲children’s pedestrian safety campaign.

In addition, the district plans to promote three unit projects for convenient traffic safety facility management for residents, including ▲traffic safety facility maintenance work ▲road marking maintenance work ▲road name guide sign replacement work.

Lee Jung-hoon, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, said, “Through the creation of a pedestrian-friendly traffic environment, I hope Gangdong becomes a place where not only children and other vulnerable road users but all residents can walk safely and with peace of mind,” and added, “The district will continue to do its best to create a walkable and safe Gangdong by ensuring the pedestrian environment creation plan is well implemented.”

Guro-gu (Mayor Lee Sung) is launching the ‘Our Neighborhood Problem-Solving Laboratory: Local Lab’ contest project.

A district official said, “We will conduct the Local Lab project where residents take the lead in solving local problems,” and announced on the 15th that residents willing to actively participate in the project will be recruited until the 23rd.

‘Local Lab’ is a resident-led project where residents, local experts, and non-profit organizations participate together to directly identify and solve local problems at the village level.

The recruitment target is groups of five or more, including Guro-gu residents or workers located in the district with at least one year of village activity experience. Groups that participated last year and set local problems as agendas are also included.

The groups will conduct step-by-step activities over six months from May to October, including local status surveys, problem identification, solution development, and result reporting. Groups will receive activity funds ranging from 3 million to 10 million KRW depending on their project plan and activity experience.

Groups wishing to apply should prepare an introduction letter, project plan, and application form and submit them by visiting the district office’s Planning and Budget Division or via email by the 23rd.

For more details, refer to the ‘Notices and Announcements’ section on the district office website.

The district will select recipients through document screening and review by the Local Subsidy Deliberation Committee and individually notify the results in April.

Last year, five groups participated: ‘Hungry Lion Cooperative,’ ‘PA Research Institute,’ ‘Social Delinquents,’ ‘Happy Children 1512 Corporation,’ and ‘Korean-Chinese Multicultural Clean-up Volunteer Group.’ Each group conducted activities such as Korean language education for children with migration backgrounds and eliminating habitual illegal dumping areas through mural painting.

A Guro-gu official said, “We hope this Local Lab project will be an opportunity for residents to directly participate and lead changes in their neighborhoods,” and added, “We ask for the interest and participation of many residents.”

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