Seongdong-gu Creates Safe School Routes with 'Metaverse Living Lab'

Living Lab Classes for 284 Fourth-Grade Students at Four Elementary Schools Including Eungbong, Muhak, Haenghyeon, and Gyeongsu to Begin in May
District to Implement Practical, Resident-Focused Safety Policies to Enhance Community Engagement

Seongdong-gu (District Mayor Jeong Won-oh) announced that it will implement the "Safe School Route Living Lab" project to create safer routes for children commuting to and from school.

The "Safe School Route Living Lab" is a participatory policy model in which students, parents, teachers, and local residents work together to identify issues on school routes and develop solutions. Launched in 2018, it is one of Seongdong-gu's flagship resident-led safety improvement initiatives. The project is well received by residents because it seeks practical improvements by reflecting the opinions of actual users.

From 2018 to 2020, a total of 21 elementary schools in the district participated, resolving 94 safety issues. Since 2022, the district has introduced and operated a Living Lab using the metaverse. On the Roblox platform, a virtual space similar to the actual school route is created, allowing students to experience the route through gameplay, identify potential hazards, and propose ideas for improvement through group discussions.

As a result, from 2022 to 2024, a total of 39 solutions have been developed, and various smart safety facilities such as responsive keybots, smart mirrors, intelligent electronic display boards, and intelligent unmanned cameras (CCTV) have been installed along school routes.

This year, starting in May, Living Lab classes will be conducted for 284 fourth-grade students at four local elementary schools: Eungbong, Muhak, Haenghyeon, and Gyeongsu Elementary Schools.

Seongdong-gu's resident-participatory safety policy has also received high recognition externally. In 2021, it won the Prime Minister's Award at the 8th Children's Safety Awards, and in 2023, it received a special award in the field of public safety in the "Participatory Budget System Evaluation" organized by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, stated, "By implementing the 'Safe School Route Living Lab' project based on the direct participation of students and residents, we are enhancing the effectiveness of solving school route safety issues," and added, "Going forward, we will continue to create a Seongdong where everyone feels safe through practical, resident-centered safety policies that people can directly experience."

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