Living with Migratory Birds... Eco-Friendly Waterfront City Utilizing Three National River Waterways

A panoramic view from the observatory at Busan Eco Delta City (EDC). EDC is the nation's first waterfront space development project utilizing three national river waterways.

[Asia Economy Busan=Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Busan Eco Delta City (EDC) is the first domestic waterfront space development project utilizing three national river waterways. Unlike traditional urban development methods, the goal is to create a multifunctional urban space that includes residential areas, leisure and culture, and green spaces for migratory bird ecological protection by utilizing waterfront areas.

On the 7th, the Ministry of Environment press corps visited the EDC development site, where basic infrastructure construction was in full swing on a vast land. The area, over four times the size of Yeouido in Seoul, spans 11.77 million square meters (approximately 3.6 million pyeong) and is planned to accommodate a total population of 76,000. The Korea Water Resources Corporation, responsible for the project, started phase 1 in 2015, phase 2 in 2016, and began phase 3 construction in 2019. Although the original project completion date was next year, due to extensive foundational work, an extension until 2028 is being pursued.

The reason the corporation is in charge of this EDC project stems from its continuous development of national rivers since 1974 through experiences with national industrial complexes and new town developments. Since 2012, it has initiated waterfront zone development projects to systematically develop areas around national rivers. Unlike the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH)'s new town development projects, EDC is characterized by its eco-friendly approach and integration of new technologies (IoT) utilizing three waterways around the Nakdong River.

Busan EDC is located in the Semulmeori district where three national rivers?Seonakdong River, Pyeonggangcheon Stream, and Maekdo River?converge. It provides various leisure activities as well as the largest urban wetland and park in the country, along with green spaces for migratory bird protection, offering habitats for birds. To preserve the migratory bird protection zone, urban buildings are restricted to a height of 30 meters or less.

Efforts to create an eco-friendly city utilizing waterfront spaces are evident throughout. First, aiming for an ultra-low-density city, the planned population density is set at 308 people per hectare (ha). This is up to 54.5% lower compared to new towns like Songdo (476 people) and Gimpo Hangang (438 people). Minimizing population density means ensuring a comfortable living environment.

As a waterfront city, there is also a focus on improving the water quality of surrounding rivers. The goal is to improve the water quality of Pyeonggangcheon and Maekdo River adjacent to EDC from grade 4 to grade 2 or higher. To achieve this, joint water quality improvement pilot experiments are being conducted with related agencies. Through eco-friendly water treatment (eco-filtering), river water is purified and then used as maintenance water for lake parks and other facilities within EDC.

Smart Village Established within Eco Delta City

To create a low-carbon eco-friendly complex, more than 35% of EDC's total power demand (460 MW) will be supplied by hydrogen. Using hydrogen-based fuel cell power generation, approximately 539,000 Gcal of heat will be utilized for district heating, reducing carbon emissions by 123,000 tons compared to fossil fuels. Geographically, it is located at the center connecting Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam, and is expected to play a central role in the future mega-city.

The first complex within EDC integrating waterfront, eco-friendly, and IT features, called ‘Smart Village,’ intensively showcases residential life here. Smart Village, developed as a block-type detached housing complex, currently houses 56 households. As the first residential complex in EDC, robots clean the roads, and all home appliances can be managed remotely via smartphones. Additionally, residents' water usage is segmented to provide appropriate amounts. Over 40 new technologies have been integrated into Smart Village.

So far, about 27% of EDC has been sold. Phase 1 aims to complete the urban activation foundation by this year, and phase 2 plans to proceed with smart city sales from 2023 to 2025. From 2026, sales of reserved areas such as remaining land will begin.

An official from the corporation said, "Busan EDC is being constructed with consideration for harmony with the surrounding ecosystem to become a world-class waterfront city integrating eco-friendliness and new technologies," adding, "We are doing our best in urban development with the goal that 'we create the city, and the city creates us'."

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