Mayor Park Hyungdeok: "Revitalizing the Old Downtown and Improving Residential Environment... Doing Our Best for Tangible Change"

Three Key Strategies to Restore Urban Vitality
Dongducheon’s Mid- to Long-Term Comprehensive Development Plan Unveiled

Dongducheon City in Gyeonggi Province, led by Mayor Park Hyungdeok, is establishing an urban regeneration strategy through its mid- to long-term development plan. The goal is to revitalize the declining city center and bring about tangible changes in the living environment that citizens can directly experience.

A view of Dongducheon City Hall. Provided by Dongducheon City

This plan is built around three main pillars: the regeneration of the old downtown, the restoration of urban connectivity, and the strengthening of residential and welfare infrastructure. It aims to restructure the city’s long-stagnant urban framework and transform Dongducheon into a "people-centered, space-innovative city."

According to an analysis by the Korea Institute of Local Autonomy and Economy on August 30, Dongducheon City is entirely designated as a "growth management area" under the Capital Region Readjustment Planning Act. Overlapping regulations, such as military facility protection zones and water source protection zones, have restricted the city’s self-sustaining development. U.S. military bases accounted for 42% of the total area, and delays in their return have weakened the city’s growth momentum. As a result, the city is facing a serious decline in urban vitality, with simultaneous deterioration of the old downtown, population outflow, and shrinking commercial districts.

In a citizen survey conducted during the research process, with 2,205 respondents, 12.8% identified the deterioration of old residential areas and the decline of the old downtown as the most urgent urban regeneration issue, while 8.0% cited residential environment improvement and the promotion of urban regeneration as key concerns. Interviews with local figures repeatedly highlighted the decline of the old downtown, stagnation of commercial districts, and the weakening image of the Bosan-dong tourism district, emphasizing the need to revitalize the city’s image and improve living conditions.

Reflecting this analysis and the demands of citizens and the local community, the institute has developed the following three strategies.

First, regeneration of the old downtown and improvement of the residential environment. The plan calls for the renovation of aging residential areas around Jungang Station and the Saengyeon 7-ri redevelopment project to improve the deteriorated city center. It also emphasizes the need to introduce a comprehensive public asset management system to enhance the efficiency of land and asset utilization. Additional measures include conducting surveys on the condition of aging residential areas, developing management plans for vacant and underutilized properties, improving the design of Jungang-ro Street, and introducing local storytelling design, all aimed at creating a cultural space in the Jungang-ro area and improving residents’ living conditions.

Second, strengthening urban connectivity and restoring the spatial network. The plan envisions establishing a basic landscape plan for Dongducheon, creating walkable streets, and renovating pedestrian-friendly spaces to improve the streetscape and pedestrian environment in the city center. In particular, it aims to simultaneously improve riverfront landscapes and connect pedestrian corridors along Jungang-ro and major living axes, creating a pleasant and safe urban environment and infusing new energy and atmosphere throughout the city.

Third, strengthening residential stability and welfare infrastructure. The plan calls for expanding safety inspections and repair support for aging apartment complexes and analyzing residential factors using a living population database. The goal is to enhance residential safety while developing tailored renovation and support systems that address the needs of different population groups and households.

Mayor Park Hyungdeok of Dongducheon City stated, "Urban regeneration takes time, but we will steadily pursue each stage of the plan. We will do our utmost to ensure that residents can directly experience changes in their daily lives through the regeneration of the old downtown and improvements in the residential environment."

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