Hyundai Motor Group Unveils Future City Research Project

Yoo Hyun Joon Architecture Office and 'HMG Greenfield Smart City Reference Model'
Industry-Academia Collaboration on Mobility-Linked Urban Design with Hongik University College of Architecture and Urban Planning

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] Hyundai Motor Group announced on the 31st that it will unveil future city-related research projects, including the ‘HMG Greenfield Smart City Reference Model’ jointly researched with Yuhyunjoon Architects Office and industry-academic projects collaborated with Hongik University College of Architecture and Urban Planning, and will hold an online exhibition.

Hyundai Motor Group has been conducting research aimed at developing solutions for both cities and their inhabitants, focusing not only on mobility but also on logistics, energy, and nature in an organically connected manner.

The ‘HMG Greenfield Smart City Reference Model’ is a concept that materializes the ideal future city envisioned by Hyundai Motor Group, while the industry-academic projects address urban elements needed for various natural environments and the integration of future mobility and buildings.

The ‘HMG Greenfield Smart City Reference Model’ is designed to minimize environmental damage by limiting development areas and to prevent problems arising from indiscriminate urban expansion.

To this end, Hyundai Motor Group created a honeycomb-structured hexagonal city concept that allows for a short city completion time, minimizes idle land, and maximizes space utilization considering diverse natural environments.

Considering that mobility speed may decrease at the angular corners on the city outskirts, the design incorporates both the advantages of straight lines and curves, with a radius of 6 km.

The above-ground area is composed of people-centered spaces with walkable distances and ample greenery, while the underground is designed as a function-centered space equipped with mobility, logistics, and energy infrastructure focused on efficiency.

Lee Sang-yeop, Vice President of Hyundai Motor Group’s Hyundai Design Center, said, “We fundamentally examined the problems of existing cities and drew a blueprint for future cities as spaces where people, nature, architecture, and mobility interact sustainably. The HMG Greenfield Smart City Reference Model research was a task to incorporate the most functional design throughout the entire process of human-centered mobility.”

Yoo Hyun-joon, CEO of Yuhyunjoon Architects Office, said, “A sustainable future city is one that creates synergy in relationships between people and people, and people and nature, with minimal space and energy. To this end, we introduced a new concept of cars integrated with various urban spaces and buildings that can be experienced on foot, and presented a honeycomb-structured city that can be transformed according to terrain differences and urban growth.”

Ji Young-jo, Head of Innovation at Hyundai Motor Group, said, “Hyundai Motor Group holds the belief that smart city solutions must be developed based on an understanding of cities, and we will continue future smart city research based on this.”

Hyundai Motor Group also unveiled industry-academic projects jointly conducted with Hongik University College of Architecture and Urban Planning. Considering various terrains and extreme environments worldwide, Hyundai Motor Group and Hongik University have been conducting urban research to prepare for future cities in polar regions, oceans, deserts, and more.

First, the polar city concept involves removing the snow-covered permafrost and constructing a large dome on the exposed bedrock. The interior of the dome is designed to create a subarctic climate suitable for outdoor activities and plant habitats, enabling city construction. The city is located on the coast, with greenery placed in the center and increasing urban density toward the outskirts.

The ocean city is designed to build an artificial city centered on disappearing coral reefs to preserve underwater nature while enabling coexistence between humans and nature. The city is divided into residential, commercial, research, and green areas according to seabed topography and coral reef distribution.

The desert city is structured to block intense solar heat, high temperatures, and strong sandstorms. It is designed with roof structures, buildings, walkways, road networks for PBVs and public transportation, hinterlands, and parks.

Additionally, Hyundai Motor Group and Hongik University College of Architecture and Urban Planning have devised various architectural scenarios where future mobility such as PBVs and buildings harmonize to create diverse added values.

These include the ‘PBV Docking Interface’ connecting PBVs and buildings, the ‘PBV Transport System’ for integration and movement inside and outside buildings, and the ‘Architectural Scenario’ exploring the possibility of connecting PBVs with buildings for office, medical, and educational purposes.

The online exhibition of Hyundai Motor Group’s ‘HMG Greenfield Smart City Reference Model’ and industry-academic project materials can be viewed at the link below.

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