Pohang City Sweeps Grand Prize and Excellence Award at Gyeongbuk Urban Regeneration Competition

Shinheung-dong Community Innovation and Songdo-dong Marine Convergence Project Achievements
Qualified for National Competition, Advancing Sustainable Urban Regeneration

Pohang City has once again proven its status as a leading city in urban regeneration by simultaneously winning the Grand Prize in the Regional Specialization category and the Excellence Award in the Economic Vitality category at the "2025 Gyeongsangbuk-do Urban Regeneration Competition," hosted by the Gyeongbuk Urban Regeneration Support Center.

Pohang City, which won the grand prize at the '2025 Gyeongbuk Province Urban Regeneration Competition,' is taking a commemorative photo on the 3rd. Photo by Pohang City

This competition, held to share the urban regeneration achievements of 23 cities and counties in the province and to discover and spread outstanding cases, evaluated projects in which the private sector and local governments collaborated to revitalize the local economy and develop specialized models.

Pohang City reached the finals in both categories it entered and achieved the honor of winning after fierce competition.

The Excellence Award in the Economic Vitality category was given to the project "Shinheung-dong Innovation: The Urban Regeneration Revolution Led by the Community," which was promoted in partnership with the Shinheung-dong Village Management Social Cooperative in Buk-gu.

Pohang City, which won the Grand Prize in the Economic Vitality category at the 2025 Gyeongbuk Province Urban Regeneration Competition, is taking a commemorative photo on the 3rd. Provided by Pohang City

Established in 2021, the cooperative, with participation from 43 local residents, has operated various key facilities such as the village cafe "Hygge-ri," the drawing experience center "Just Draw," an upcycling workshop, and a smart farm, injecting new energy into the local economy. The cooperative also took the lead in creating a safe village environment through a voluntary environmental volunteer group and community policing activities.

In particular, the project was recognized for its sustainability and contribution to the community, having received the Minister of Economy and Finance Award last year and being designated as a preliminary social enterprise in the land and transport sector.

The Grand Prize in the Regional Specialization category was awarded to the "Songdo-dong: Convergence Hub of Advanced Marine Industry and Culture, Pohang Old Port Urban Regeneration Project." In response to the decline of the traditional steel industry, the project established the Advanced Marine R&D Center in the Songdo-dong area, providing research and startup spaces for startups and aspiring entrepreneurs, and was highly rated for fostering the marine industry as a future growth engine.

Additionally, the project transformed the closed Songdo Beach into a "Marine Leisure Playground" and piloted a marine data control center, presenting an urban regeneration model that integrates marine resources, technology, and tourism, which received high praise from the judges.

With this Grand Prize, Pohang City will represent Gyeongbuk Province at the "Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Urban Regeneration Festival" to be held in December, where it will showcase the excellence of Pohang-style urban regeneration on a national stage.

A Pohang City official stated, "This is a meaningful achievement accomplished by both the public and private sectors," adding, "We will continue to work hand in hand with residents to pursue sustainable urban regeneration and further enhance the future value of Pohang."

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