Seoul City to Revamp 'Waterfront Sensory Hub' Around Jungnangcheon... 'Future Space Planning Service' to Start in July

Major Changes Expected with Dongbu Expressway Undergrounding... Jungnangcheon to Become a Riverside Cultural, Leisure, and Art Hub

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul City is set to embark on a major urban spatial reorganization of the northeastern area of Seoul centered around the Jungnangcheon Stream, following the full-scale promotion of the underground construction of the ‘Dongbu Expressway’ located on both sides of Jungnangcheon. The plan is to transform the Jungnangcheon area into a ‘waterside sensory hub’ and link it with nearby low-rise residential areas, redevelopment and reconstruction sites, public facilities, and the Han River to revitalize the entire northeastern region. The goal is to promote balanced development in Seoul by revitalizing the long-neglected northeastern district.

On the 16th, Seoul City announced a bidding notice for the ‘Spatial Planning around Jungnangcheon in connection with the Expressway Three-dimensionalization’ project and stated that the planning will commence in July. This initiative aims to envision the future spatial structure of the Jungnangcheon area, where significant changes in infrastructure and spatial configuration are expected due to the underground construction of the Dongbu Expressway.

The preparation of the spatial plan for the Jungnangcheon area is being promoted as part of the ‘Seoul-style Waterside Sensory City,’ a core strategy of the city’s master plan ‘Seoul Vision 2030’ under the theme of ‘Future Sensory City.’ It is also linked to the ‘Waterside-centered Spatial Reorganization,’ one of the six major spatial plans in the ‘2040 Seoul Urban Basic Plan,’ which represents Seoul’s highest-level spatial planning and future urban vision.

Through this project, Seoul City plans to establish measures to activate the waterside space of Jungnangcheon as a leisure and cultural area, and to develop plans to discover and organize economic, cultural, and leisure hubs by connecting Jungnangcheon with adjacent areas and the Han River. A representative example is the establishment of ‘Guidelines for Large-scale Development Projects’ to ensure that redevelopment and reconstruction sites coordinate their plans with Jungnangcheon. The plan aims to integrate Jungnangcheon and its surrounding areas into a unified whole to enhance the river’s potential and spread vitality to neighboring regions.

The plan will also include a ‘Specialized Maintenance Plan’ for nearby low-rise residential areas that are close to Jungnangcheon but have been cut off by roads and embankments, preventing residents from enjoying the tributary as a leisure space. The goal is to create distinctive waterside villages characterized by low-rise, low-density forms harmonized with the waterside. Additionally, strategic utilization plans will be developed for public facilities located within or adjacent to Jungnangcheon, such as the Jungnang Water Reclamation Center and the Myeonmok and Hwikyung detention basins. Facilities that are inaccessible to the general public or underutilized will be restructured spatially through relocation or vertical development to create new public spaces for education, experience, and play.

The spatial plan for the Jungnangcheon area will be concretized by the end of next year through processes including public opinion gathering and expert consultation. The city aims to establish an effective plan through organic collaboration with related departments promoting the underground construction of the Dongbu Expressway.

Choi Jin-seok, Director of the Urban Planning Bureau, said, “We aim to maximize the potential of the ‘waterside’ to create a space where Jungnangcheon is closer to citizens’ daily lives.” He added, “We will reorganize Jungnangcheon into a vibrant landmark and transform the river and surrounding areas into a harmonious urban space, turning the long-neglected northeastern district into a waterside sensory city. Furthermore, we will do our utmost to contribute to the balanced regional development of Seoul.”

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