Donghae City Launches Pilot Operation of Samhwa District Greenhouse Garden... Resident-Driven Urban Regeneration in Full Swing

Donghae City, Gangwon Province, announced that it has created a greenhouse garden in connection with the Smart Aroma Healing Farm as part of the Samhwa District urban regeneration project, and has begun pilot operations based on resident participation.

Greenhouse interior. Photo by Donghae City

The greenhouse garden is located in the area of 190-2, Iro-dong (near the Samhwa-dong Administrative Welfare Center), and since January this year, it has been open to the public on a trial basis every Friday and Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., continuously attracting visitors.

Inside the greenhouse, a unique viewing space has been created by planting a variety of rare tropical plants, including bananas, papayas, calamondin oranges, guavas, and olives. The space is operated to allow visitors to experience diverse plant ecosystems within the city.

In particular, the Samhwa District is an area where industry and residential zones coexist. It is significant in that it is implementing an urban regeneration model that creates new value by utilizing renewable energy generated from nearby industrial facilities.

Starting in June, the city plans to fully utilize waste heat recycled from Ssangyong C&E, a nearby industrial facility, to stably maintain the temperature inside the greenhouse. Through this, the city aims to establish a virtuous cycle structure that transforms discarded energy into resources that nurture life.

The greenhouse is operated under a resident participation model. Currently, members of the Samsek Samhwa Village Management Cooperative are involved in plant growth management and operations. Since the end of April, the city has also been running a "Greenhouse Garden Specialist Training Course" to strengthen residents' capabilities.

Additionally, in May, the city plans to begin cultivating seedlings and saplings, and from June, the greenhouse garden will commence full-scale operations. In the future, the city intends to link this to increasing residents' income by operating crop sales and hands-on experience programs.

The main building of the Smart Aroma Healing Farm is approximately 87% complete and is scheduled for completion in June. It will house a cafe, foot bath experience, and seedling sales area. The facility is planned to be expanded in the future into a multi-purpose complex that combines healing, experiential, and stay-type functions.

Jeon Mi-ae, Head of Urban Maintenance Division, said, "The Smart Aroma Healing Farm is a representative example of urban regeneration that combines the use of renewable energy from industrial facilities with resident participation. Going forward, we will develop it into a sustainable model that connects resident income generation and experiential tourism."

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