Seodaemun-gu Sinchon Commercial Area Revitalized by Changes in Yonseiro

Seongheon Lee, Mayor of Seodaemun District, held a press briefing at the project site on the afternoon of the 19th, one day before the pilot cancellation of the ‘Sinchon Yonsei-ro Public Transportation-Only Zone,’ and announced a comprehensive project plan to revitalize Sinchon.

Various (6-set) Projects to Revitalize Sinchon

① Upgrade of Vehicle Traffic on Yonsei-ro [Jan 20 ? Sep 30, 2023]

② Promotion of Shared Parking Lots in Sinchon Area [Yonsei University (confirmed), Hyundai Department Store, Changcheon Church,Severance Hospital, Ewha Womans University, etc.]

③ Expansion of 'Recommended Business Types' around Ewha Womans University [In addition to existing clothing, miscellaneous goods, beauty salons,restaurants, bakeries, performance venues, shops, etc., incentives (relaxed parking lot installation standards) provided]

④ Ewha 52nd Street Alley Project [Lighting, road paving, alley design changes throughout the entire section]

⑤ Establishment of New Youth Startup Support Facilities and Operation of Seodaemun Youth Employment Academy

⑥ Creation of New University Street through Undergrounding of Gyeongui Line Railroad [Development of sports facilities, parks, cultural and artistic complex spaces, youth startup research complexes, parking spaces, etc. in the upper vacant space]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Seong-heon) announced on the 19th that it will promote various projects in the new year to revitalize the stagnant Sinchon commercial district.

First, the district, together with Seoul City, will pilot lift the Yonsei-ro public transportation-only zone from midnight on the 20th of this month until midnight on September 30.

Accordingly, during this period, all vehicles except two-wheelers will be allowed to travel on Yonsei-ro 24 hours a day.

Since its implementation in 2014, the Yonsei-ro public transportation-only zone has faced continuous complaints from nearby merchants requesting vehicle access due to commercial district stagnation, and residents raising concerns about pedestrian safety and noise caused by increased detour traffic through alleys.

To revitalize the usually quiet Yonsei-ro except during large festivals, the district proposed lifting the public transportation-only zone to Seoul City in September last year, resulting in the normalization of vehicle traffic for about eight months (Jan 20 ? Sep 30).

Going forward, the final operational direction will be decided after analyzing the 'commercial district monitoring' (sales, etc.) until the end of June and 'traffic monitoring' (traffic speed, etc.) until the end of September.

During the pilot lift period, busking and small to medium-sized festivals will be held regularly at locations such as ▲Star Plaza in front of Sinchon Play Bus ▲Myeongmul-gil pedestrian rest area (wooden deck) ▲Changcheon Cultural Park in front of Sinchon Blue Whale ▲sidewalks, while large events will be conducted under traffic control with prior notice.

The district explained that the current Yonsei-ro structure, with a lane width of 3.5m and sidewalk width of 6m, will be maintained, so pedestrian space will not be reduced.

Additionally, to enhance pedestrian safety, after the end of the 'car-free street' operation on October 9 last year, speed cameras, speed bumps, flashing signals, pedestrian protective fences, and temporary central dividers were installed. For the pilot lift of the public transportation-only zone, crosswalks, various road markings, and traffic safety signs were also installed.

The district is promoting a shared parking lot project in the Sinchon area to increase the effectiveness of the Yonsei-ro public transportation-only zone pilot lift.

As a first step, on December 26 last year, a 'shared parking lot' agreement was signed with Yonsei University. Accordingly, from the end of this month, parking will be available on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays at an hourly rate in the low 1,000 KRW range, cheaper than surrounding market prices.

Furthermore, similar agreements are being pursued with Hyundai Department Store, Changcheon Church, Severance Hospital, Ewha Womans University, and others.

The district plans to reorganize the district unit plan for the Sinchon area by April this year to revitalize the commercial district.

Through this, especially around Ewha Womans University, in addition to existing clothing, miscellaneous goods, and beauty salons, incentives to relax parking lot installation standards will be provided for cafes, general restaurants, bakeries, academies, performance venues, exhibition halls, shops, and more.

With the expansion of these 'recommended business types,' it is expected that use changes will be smoother and a variety of businesses will bring vitality to the area.

On the 270m-long Ewha 52nd Street, the outdated alley design will be changed by the end of this year, with landscape lighting and floor lighting installed throughout the entire section, and the floor design enhanced with new paving.

Leveraging Seodaemun’s strength as a youth city, new youth startup support facilities (▲Yonsei University Campus Town S-Cube Branch 3 ▲Ewha Womans University Startup Open Space and Ewha Connection Space ▲Myongji College Maker Space and Metaverse Center) will be newly established by the end of this year, and from July, the Seodaemun Youth Employment Academy will open at Sinchon Blue Whale.

The district will implement the 'Basic Plan for Undergrounding the Gyeongui Line and Complex Development' for one year starting March, with the vision of creating a new university street through undergrounding the Gyeongui Line railroad.

Based on this, the above-ground section of the Gyeongui Line from Susaek Station to Seoul Station will be undergrounded, and various complex spaces will be created in the upper space thus secured.

In particular, in the vacant space in front of Yonsei University, sports facilities, parks, large performance halls, cultural and artistic complex spaces, youth startup research complexes, and parking spaces will be arranged to create a new university street linking nine universities in the district with nearby Sogang University and Hongik University.

On the 19th, one day before the pilot lift of the Sinchon Yonsei-ro public transportation-only zone, Seodaemun-gu Mayor Lee Seong-heon held a press briefing at the project site and emphasized, “Normalizing vehicle traffic on Yonsei-ro is not an end in itself but a key means to restore the Sinchon commercial district, and it will create synergy with comprehensive projects to revive Sinchon.”

He also stated, “These projects will serve as a virtuous cycle catalyst for speedy regional development by zone, rapid recovery of the local economy, and securing future growth engines during the 8th elected administration.”

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