Sacheon City Unveils Blueprint for Urban Regeneration of Sacheon-eup Original Downtown

Revitalizing the Original Downtown
Through Youth Engagement, Commercial District Activation,
and Pedestrian Environment Improvements

Sacheon City in Gyeongnam held a resident public hearing on the establishment of the “Sacheon-eup Original Downtown District Urban Regeneration Revitalization Plan” in the second-floor meeting room of the Sacheon-eup Administrative Welfare Center, gathering diverse opinions from urban regeneration experts and local residents.

The public hearing, held on March 4th, proceeded with an explanation of the draft urban regeneration revitalization plan, followed by expert panel discussions and collection of resident feedback. Over 70 participants, including local residents and urban regeneration experts, attended and shared a wide range of opinions on strategies to revitalize the Sacheon-eup original downtown area.

In particular, an in-depth discussion on the direction and implementation strategies for urban regeneration in the Sacheon-eup original downtown district took place during the panel discussion led by Seokho Kim, Head of the Sacheon City Urban Regeneration Support Center.

Sacheon City, On-site Public Hearing for the Establishment of the Urban Regeneration Activation Plan in Sacheon-eup Original Downtown District.

Attendees agreed that, despite the locational advantages of the Sacheon-eup original downtown as the administrative and daily life center of Sacheon City and its proximity to key aerospace industry institutions and industrial complexes, the area has been gradually losing its vitality due to population decline and stagnation of the local commercial district.

As a result, the need for comprehensive urban regeneration projects was raised, including building a foundation for youth engagement, revitalizing the commercial district, improving the pedestrian environment, reorganizing parking facilities, and implementing resident-participatory alleyway management programs to facilitate a renaissance of the original downtown.

Sacheon City plans to establish a multi-purpose space called “Cheongnyeon Maru” to address the shortage of youth activity venues, supporting youth education, networking, and entrepreneurship.

Cheongnyeon Maru will host youth education programs, entrepreneurship support initiatives, and networking events, serving as a central hub to strengthen local youth capabilities and promote active exchanges.

Additionally, the city intends to run youth capacity-building programs linked to local industries and university-industry cooperation network initiatives, thereby laying the groundwork for young people to settle in the region and building a sustainable youth activity ecosystem. In the areas around Sacheon Market and Sacheon-eupseong, streets for youth activities will be created by utilizing vacant stores and small-scale content spaces.

By improving major pedestrian pathways and redesigning streetscapes, the city aims to transform the area into a destination where visitors are encouraged to linger. Alongside this, programs to enhance commercial district design capabilities will be promoted to improve the appearance and establish a unique brand for the district.

The city also plans to develop story-based content programs utilizing local history and alley assets to unearth unique cultural resources of Sacheon-eup, as well as to activate the local commercial district and expand tourism content. Furthermore, Sacheon City will systematically reorganize pedestrian routes within the original downtown to create a safe and convenient walking environment.

In alleyways and main commercial sections, CCTV cameras, pedestrian lighting, informational facilities, and pedestrian-friendly street designs will be installed to ensure a safe and pleasant, walkable urban environment.

To address the shortage of parking, the city will expand public parking lots and introduce mechanical parking systems to improve parking efficiency and enhance convenience for commercial district users. Sacheon City also plans to utilize abandoned vacant houses within the original downtown for stay-type programs and local record-keeping initiatives.

The city envisions creating regional story assets by operating programs in which young creators and visitors stay in the area for a set period, documenting stories about Sacheon-eup’s alleyways, history, and commercial scenes, and subsequently expanding these assets into cultural and tourism content. Resident-participatory alleyway maintenance and management programs will also be promoted.

The city plans to improve outdated alleyway environments, redesign alley spaces, and establish a resident-participatory management system to create a sustainable alleyway environment.

Additionally, through community activities and alley culture programs, the city aims to restore local community bonds and further expand resident participation.

The city will incorporate the feedback from residents and experts provided through this public hearing to refine the urban regeneration revitalization plan, and will respond to the application for the urban regeneration contest project, as well as on-site inspections and presentation evaluations by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

A city official stated, “Through the pre-hearing resident briefing sessions, the urban regeneration academy, and surveys, we have confirmed the high level of interest and expectations for the development of Sacheon among residents. We will do our utmost to actively reflect residents’ opinions and ensure that the Sacheon-eup original downtown regains its vitality by securing selection in the contest project.”

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