Why Does Seongdong-gu Operate a Permanent Public Design Resident Council?

Seongdong-gu Establishes Communication Platform to Gather Resident Opinions in Early Design Direction Setting... Resident Council Comprising 15 Residents and Experts Formed as First Step Toward Consensus-Based Public Design Realization

Meeting scene of the Public Design Residents' Council

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jeong Won-oh) has established and is operating the "Seongdong-gu Public Design Resident Council," a permanent organization for resident participation in the field of public design.

The Public Design Resident Council is an advisory body that collects residents' opinions at the early stage of setting design directions in public design projects.

At the end of last year, Seongdong-gu revised the "Seoul Special City Seongdong-gu Public Design Promotion Ordinance," including provisions for establishing the Resident Council, thereby laying the foundation for a communication channel with residents.

Previously, although the need for communication with residents was raised during related project implementation, considerable time was required each time to form a new resident council, making it difficult to proceed with projects quickly.

Accordingly, Seongdong-gu aims to promote resident participation and facilitate smooth public design project implementation by forming a permanent council composed of residents with strong attachment and knowledge of the area, as well as members from related organizations, to operate as needed and promptly advance designs that resonate with residents.

The Resident Council consists of a total of 15 members: 8 residents (two from each of Seongdong-gu’s four major living zones?Seongsu, Geumho·Oksu, Wangsimni·Haengdang, Majang·Yongdap), 4 professional members such as university professors and design association representatives, 2 design experts, and 1 public official.

The first agenda item discussed at the Resident Council meeting held earlier this month was the improvement direction for the design of boundary retaining walls. Unlike the retaining walls in other districts that were refurbished last year, the Seongdong-gu section of the boundary retaining wall located in Oksu-dong is aging and requires aesthetic maintenance.

During the meeting, various resident opinions were presented, such as "Material selection considering sustainability is necessary," and "We hope the design reflects Seongdong-gu’s identity so that residents can feel pride."

The district plans to realize the best public design through comprehensive review reflecting these opinions.

Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, stated, "We will expand opportunities for resident participation related to public design," and added, "By continuously communicating with residents and promoting public design projects created together, we will strive to present designs that satisfy residents."

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