Nowon-gu Transforms Unauthorized Proliferation Around Wolgye Station into Safe Pedestrian Walkways

Demolition of 16 Illegal Buildings Illegally Occupying Railway Land, Relocation and Removal of Utility Poles

Construction of Approximately 100m New Pedestrian Path, Installation of Curb Stones Separating Pedestrian and Vehicle Roads, Replacement of Old Sidewalk Blocks

Creation of Green Strips and Painting of Soundproof Walls to Transform into a Fresh and Safe Resident-Friendly Space

Current Appearance After Construction

Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it has cleared unauthorized buildings that had proliferated near Wolgye Station and created a safe pedestrian path for residents.

The project site is around Wolgye-dong 259-1, near Exit 3 of Wolgye Station. This area is a children's protection zone used as a school route for children and a major pedestrian route for residents using Wolgye Station. However, due to illegal buildings, the sidewalk was interrupted without a proper pedestrian path. As a result, safety was vulnerable during children's commuting times, leading to continuous complaints from parents and discomfort among residents.

Accordingly, the district established a project plan in 2020 to improve the pedestrian environment here and has been promoting the project, including signing a business agreement with the Korea National Railway Corporation Metropolitan Headquarters in 2021 to utilize idle railway land.

The project was broadly divided into ▲demolition of unauthorized buildings ▲relocation of utility poles ▲construction of new pedestrian paths ▲creation of green spaces and aesthetic improvements.

First, 16 illegal buildings that had occupied railway land without permission were demolished. These illegal stalls, which had operated as snack bars and street vendors, had caused various complaints such as nighttime intoxicated persons and illegal garbage dumping. Their removal secured pedestrian space.

Utility poles that existed between the illegal buildings were also relocated. With cooperation from Korea Electric Power Corporation and district budget, one of the three utility poles was removed, and two were relocated inside the soundproof wall to adjust their positions so as not to interfere with pedestrian and vehicle traffic.

Next, construction was carried out to create a new pedestrian path. A pedestrian path up to 2 meters wide was created along approximately 130 meters from the top of the Wolgye Underpass, where the unauthorized buildings had been, to Exit 3 of Wolgye Station. Curb stones separating the sidewalk and the roadway were installed, and the path was paved with artificial reinforced stone blocks to neatly organize the walkway.

Finally, green strips were installed along the pedestrian path to beautify the urban landscape. Various species of herbaceous plants such as hydrangea, coreopsis, and ajuga, as well as shrubs like Euonymus japonicus, evergreen holly, and arrowwood, were planted to create a street garden that allows residents to experience seasonal changes and break away from monotonous urban scenery.

Additionally, the soundproof walls installed along the Wolgye Station railway were painted, and charming murals were added to the middle walls, transforming the area into a fresh, resident-friendly space and a safe walking trail that people want to stroll along.

Moreover, the district is conducting a large-scale project to improve the pedestrian environment within the region by establishing a comprehensive urban landscape and scenic improvement plan. A full survey is being conducted to focus on inspecting and maintaining facilities such as vehicle entry prevention bollards that threaten the safety of vulnerable pedestrians, crosswalk entrances and exits, and street facilities around tactile paving blocks.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, “We have demolished illegal buildings around the station that caused inconvenience to residents and created a resident-friendly pedestrian path. We will continue to carefully examine the pedestrian environment in the area to create a pleasant and walkable city.”

The appearance before construction with illegal street stalls

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