Gangbuk-gu Creates Rest Areas for Middle and High School Girls, Including Rooftop Gardens and More

Utilized as an Ecological Learning Site in Connection with Educational Programs

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Park Kyum-soo) has created a green resting area in the unused space of Changmun Girls' Middle and High School (located in Mia-dong).

This project was planned with the purpose of providing a nature-friendly educational environment by installing natural learning centers and vegetable gardens in unused areas such as rooftops and around playgrounds.

Previously, the district formed a promotion committee to design green spaces reflecting the opinions of users. School officials, students, and parents participated in the committee, and various voices from the field were incorporated during the design process. A representative example is the change of the steel rose arch structure to wood and the addition of wooden fences around the vegetable garden boundaries.

The district plans to develop the green space not merely to increase greenery but as an experiential learning site where children can learn the importance of nature, prevention of environmental pollution, and the necessity of resource conservation.

It is also expected to serve as a space for ecological learning linked with educational programs and as a communication area within the school community.

Park Kyum-soo, Mayor of Gangbuk-gu, said, “It is known that the more green spaces there are in schools, the greater the impact on students' emotional stability and educational effectiveness. We will continue to breathe life into leftover spaces and transform them into green resting areas.”

Since 2013, the district has carried out school greening projects at 11 schools in the area. Most schools with ecological learning sites expressed high satisfaction.