[Seoul's Future] Park Sohyun "We Should Focus on Neighborhood Streets Rather Than Squares"

Reevaluating the Value of Walking for Sustainability
Easy to Commit to Seoul Connected by Village Bus
Policies Needed to Lower Walking Threshold Using Big Data

"Walking is as mundane as air and water, but now is the time to reexamine its value."

Professor Park Sohyun of the Department of Architecture at Seoul National University emphasized that Seoul must reconsider the value of walking to remain a sustainable city in the future. Seoul has passed the era of rapid and cheap development on land and now faces the crises of population decline and climate change. Professor Park said, "In the face of the existential threat to humanity, pursuing sustainability is not a choice but a necessity," adding, "Among them, efforts to create urban spaces based on walking provide an important clue." She further argued, "Therefore, concerns about Seoul's future should start not from landmarks like Gwanghwamun Square but from neighborhood living streets." We met Professor Park on the 2nd at her office at Seoul National University in Gwanak-gu, Seoul.

Professor Park Sohyun from the Department of Architecture at Seoul National University is walking through the campus, talking about Seoul and urban development. Photo by Heo Younghan younghan@

<"Seoul, where village buses connect like capillaries, is a city good for walking">

- Why has walking become important now?

▲ Cities change according to the political ideologies and social circumstances of the times. During the period of rapid industrialization and modernization, efficient land use was the highest value. At that time, urban spaces were rapidly remodeled to facilitate smooth car-centered movement. But the values we pursue now are more complex. We still seek growth but require sustainable management. At the heart of this solution is the everyday act of walking. Walking not only promotes physical and mental health but also reduces carbon emissions and contributes to neighborhood safety and the success of local shops. Moreover, walking requires no learning cost.

- Is Seoul a city good for walking?

▲ Walking is a matter of value and perception. To decide "Shall I walk today?" many conditions must be met, and if it is too difficult, people end up driving their cars. Even if it is inconvenient, if there is a bus to transfer to or an alternative, people decide to walk. In that respect, Seoul is a city good for walking. Public transportation such as subways and buses is well established. It is not inferior to any city in the world. Especially, the village buses connected like capillaries in every corner are very unique. Using them, there is no place in Seoul unreachable by public transport. Moreover, there are not many cities where transferring from subway to bus does not incur a high additional fare. It is hard to understand why local government heads in Korea go abroad to learn about public transportation systems. Having lived in the U.S. for a long time, I can say Seoul has infrastructure conducive to walking.

<"Customized design is needed for each neighborhood and street, moving away from uniform policies">

- Are there policy elements in Seoul that hinder walking?

▲ Until now, uniform policies have been applied to create walkable streets, such as imposing a 30 km/h speed limit in front of schools and installing fences on living streets. Sidewalks were squeezed into narrow streets. Of course, this method was necessary to create psychologically safe paths. But sidewalks cannot be installed on every street. Some places need speed limits, others do not. The height difference between sidewalks and roads also narrows the walkable space. Now, differentiation on streets is needed. Some places may need to eliminate the height difference and convert to shared pedestrian-vehicle zones. It is time to evolve the spatial distribution between people and cars. For example, Myeongdong Cathedral Street is flat without height differences. Both cars and people use it. It is a street based on trust that cars will not enter the paths where people walk. This is the ultimate image I hope for neighborhood streets.

- How should Seoul transform into a better city for walking in the future?

▲ The answer depends on what kind of walking it is. Safe streets for children to walk, enjoyable paths for the elderly to visit places, routes for young people to reach hot spots?all differ by generation, purpose, and location. Customized services should be provided for each street by slowly observing the daily activities of neighborhood residents. Commonly, policies should lower the threshold to decide to walk without making it too difficult. To lower this threshold, not only streets but also destination facilities like parks, alleyway businesses, and attractions must be discussed together.

- Since citizens are ultimately the subjects of walking, what roles are needed?

▲ I took a three-year leave of absence from school and worked as the director of the Architectural Space Research Institute, a government-funded research institute, in Sejong City. It was a valuable opportunity to be exposed to policy. Sejong City is a middle-class city. It has many master's and doctoral degree holders and public officials; there are neither the rich nor the poor. They were excellent at voicing their desires and reflecting them in policies. For Seoul to be reborn as a city emphasizing the value of walking, participation from Seoul citizens and neighborhood residents is necessary.

- The Han River riverside is a representative place where Seoul citizens enjoy walking. How should it be developed?

▲ Many people already ride bicycles and walk along the Han River. But no space can remain unchanged. As society changes, citizens' desires change. Transformation of spaces is naturally necessary. More convenient access routes to the Han River should be opened. The Han River is a major asset of Seoul but also an asset of the neighborhoods.

Professor Park Sohyun from the Department of Architecture at Seoul National University is talking about walking and Seoul in her office at Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul. Photo by Heo Younghan younghan@

<"We must break the mindset of viewing Seoul, which endured compressed growth, through European eyes">

- Are there overseas cities worth benchmarking to strengthen the value of walking in Seoul?

▲ Seoul is a unique city that endured compressed growth, so it has its own meaning. Therefore, Seoul's streets cannot be interpreted by other texts. The urban learning backgrounds of experts, including myself, are mainly Europe and the U.S., and from that perspective, Seoul lacks squares, and its streets are not beautiful, which are regrettable points. But we must quickly break that mindset. We must strive to escape it. Ultimately, the only way is to calmly and meticulously observe Seoul's streets ourselves.

- How are recent big data-based walking research results utilized in policy?

▲ Seoul's strength is data. Massive amounts of public data related to transportation and movement are open. To create Seoul as a walking-based urban space, we must find problems and solutions through data-based research and reflect them in policies.

The walking I define includes not only pedestrian movement but also non-powered mobility devices like bicycles and wheelchairs. Recently, Seoul opened data related to its public bicycle rental service, Ddareungi. Bicycles were used much more actively than we thought. Looking at the data, destinations and riding times varied by district. Research using such data will greatly help formulate policies that lower the threshold for walking. A city based on data services is a smart city.

Professor Park Sohyun has been teaching urban and urban design courses in the Department of Architecture at Seoul National University since the fall semester of 2004. Before joining Seoul National University, she was a professor at the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Colorado, U.S., where she conducted education and research related to planning studios, urban design policies, and street environments. She earned her Ph.D. in urban design and planning with a dissertation on the preservation and redevelopment of downtown Seattle from the University of Washington in Seattle and holds a master's degree in historic preservation from the University of Oregon. She received her master's degree in architectural planning and bachelor's degree in architectural engineering from Yonsei University. She has served as a member of the Presidential Committee on National Architecture Policy, the Special Committee on Urban Regeneration, and the Cultural Heritage Committee. She completed her term as the inaugural director of the Architectural Space Research Institute, a national research institute, in June 2021. Her major publications include "Neighborhood Walking Neighborhood Planning," "Irony Seoul Streets, Five Stories," and "One Year Living in Sejong, One Year Reading the City."