Busan Recognized as Korea's First Member City of the Biophilic City Network

Coexistence of Various Life Forms and Humans: Future Urban Model 'Biophilic City' Pursued ... Global Urban Alliance

Cities with Parks and Gardens for Citizens, Recognition for Green Cities Where Nature and Humans Coexist

Busan has been officially certified as a member city of the global urban alliance, the ‘Biophilic Cities Network’, for the first time in Korea.

Busan City Hall.

The Biophilic City is an urban project that began at the University of Virginia in 2011, referring to a sustainable future city model where various living organisms and people coexist.

In an era where urbanization is increasingly isolating people from nature, biophilia?meaning ‘love (philia) of life (bio)’?is a methodology that incorporates the concept of loving life into urban planning.

The ‘Biophilic Cities Network’ is a global alliance of cities that pursue the vision of biophilic cities, currently consisting of 31 member cities from 13 countries.

With this certification, there are now 32 member cities from 14 countries, including Busan.

This certification is international recognition of the city’s efforts and achievements in creating Busan as a city of parks and gardens where citizens can enjoy a high quality of life, as well as a sustainable green city where nature and humanity coexist.

The city has been promoting initiatives such as the designation of the Nakdonggang Estuary National Urban Park, the Nakdonggang National Garden, the Geumjeongsan National Park, and the creation of the Maekdo Green City.

To commemorate this certification, the city will hold the ‘Biophilic City Busan International Conference’ at 2:30 p.m. on the 27th in the International Conference Hall at City Hall.

The event is co-hosted by the city, the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture, the Korean Institute of Urban Design, and Dong-A University.

The event will include a welcome speech by Mayor Park Hyungjoon, a certificate presentation and keynote lecture by Professor Timothy Beatley of the University of Virginia’s Department of Urban and Environmental Planning?who established the concept of the Biophilic City and founded the Biophilic Cities Network?and a comprehensive discussion session with domestic and international experts.

More than 250 participants are expected, including Mayor Park Hyungjoon, Professor Timothy Beatley, as well as representatives from academic societies, universities, public institutions, and civic organizations.

In particular, Professor Timothy Beatley will give a keynote lecture explaining the ‘Biophilic City’ as a sustainable future city model where various living organisms and people coexist in an era of urbanization and disconnection from nature, and will share outstanding case studies from partner cities pursuing the vision of biophilic cities.

During the comprehensive discussion session, renowned domestic and international experts will engage in in-depth discussions on the future direction and strategies for Busan to become a green city.

The panel will be chaired by Professor Kim Seunghwan, co-director of the One Million Pyeong Cultural Park Citizens’ Association, and will include international experts such as Yoshiki Toda, CEO of Toda Landscape in Japan, and Xia Tiantian, professor at Shandong Jianzhu University in China. Domestic experts include Professor Choi Yeol of Pusan National University and member of the Central Urban Planning Committee; Professor An Seunghong of Hankyong National University and executive director of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture; Haein Lee, director of HLD; An Cheolsoo, director of the city’s Green Urban Bureau; and Seo Jinwon, director of the Nakdonggang Estuary Eco Center.

Through this event, the city will officially announce, both domestically and internationally, that Busan has been certified as the first Korean member city of the ‘Biophilic Cities Network’, and will lay the foundation for creating a green city of parks and gardens for future generations by embracing the biophilic city philosophy.

In particular, the city plans to actively incorporate this philosophy into urban planning projects such as the designation of the Nakdonggang Estuary National Urban Park and the creation of Maekdo Green City.

Mayor Park Hyungjoon stated, “Sustainable urban planning where nature and humanity coexist is not a choice but a necessity in today’s era. Through joining the ‘Biophilic Cities Network’ and hosting the international conference, I hope we can share advanced cases and mutually develop with partner cities in the network.”

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