Busan City Launches 'Gagahoho'... 'Happy Challenge' Governance in Full Swing

A Good Environment, Culture, and Neighbors Close to Home... Enjoyable and Happy Busan

First Step for Future Generations, Exploring the '15-Minute City' with Citizens

Busan City Hall.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Busan City will operate a governance composed of local community residents in the Dangam-Gaegum living area, the first target area of the ‘Happy Challenge’ project starting from the 19th, to build consensus on the 15-minute city and discover tasks.

In August, the city branded the 15-minute city expansion model project as ‘Happy Challenge’ and selected ▲Dangam-Gaegum area in Busanjin-gu (main project) ▲Sinseonnamhang area in Yeongdo-gu (individual project) ▲Mangmi-Suyeong area in Suyeong-gu (individual project) as the first target areas, announcing the start of preliminary planning.

This governance is seen as a field support group to gather creative and innovative ideas from the private sector and incorporate the living voices from the field into the creation of the 15-minute city, as well as a core axis to monitor the overall promotion of the ‘Happy Challenge’ in the future.

The ‘Dangam-Gaegum area,’ a typical residential type with a residential ratio of 50%, is largely divided into three types: ▲general type centered on Dangam 4-dong and Buam 3-dong ▲complex type centered on Dangam 1-dong and Gaegum 3-dong ▲central type centered on Dangam 1 and 2-dong.

The governance is composed of residents of living communities in schools, markets/commercial districts, apartments, and low-rise residential areas for each of the three types above, and plans to operate a general consultative body composed of governance by community and representatives by community to simultaneously secure connectivity and distinctiveness by living area.

The city plans to operate this governance intensively in September, allocate project funds in the 2023 main budget focusing on tasks that do not require prior procedures and have social consensus, and secure project funds through the 2023 supplementary budget after revising and supplementing tasks that require prior procedures and consultations with related organizations by the end of the year.

Furthermore, after outlining the preliminary plan for the ‘Dangam-Gaegum area,’ the city will sequentially establish promotion plans for the two individual project sites, ‘Sinseonnamhang area’ and ‘Mangmi-Suyeong area.’

However, according to city officials, the two living areas plan to make new attempts with the private sector to optimize the 15-minute city strategy with differentiated strategies from the resident-led ‘Dangam-Gaegum area.’

Mayor Park Hyung-jun said, “The 15-minute city will lead the paradigm shift in urban planning and urban regeneration with new and bold attempts. Above all, sustainability and citizen happiness are important. I am confident that Busan will take a big step forward as a warm community and a 15-minute city with all citizens thinking and participating together for future generations.”

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