Launch of Local Economic Community to Take Charge of Dangsan-gol Alley Commercial Area in Yeongdeungpo-gu

Residents, Merchants, and Social Economy Organizations Form the 'Godangdo Dangsan-gol Living Commercial Area Promotion Committee'... Establishing Dangsan-gol Regional Economic Community... Promoting Living Commercial Area-Based Projects such as Sonsugagae and Toyobapsang... Revitalizing Alley Economy through Private-Led Programs like Sonsugagae, Toyobapsang, and Mideumgage

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The ‘Dangsan-gol’ local economic community, which started in Dangsan 1-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Chae Hyun-il), is taking the lead in revitalizing the depressed alley economy through lifestyle commercial district-based projects.

Since early 2019, the district office has been striving to transform the alleyways of Dangsan 1-dong into the ‘Dangsan-gol Cultural Street.’ To encourage the voluntary withdrawal of caf?-type general restaurants (businesses harmful to the living environment), community facilities such as the Happiness Pantry and village library have been established in the area, making efforts for alley regeneration and revitalization.

Thanks to these efforts, residents and members of the Dangsan-gol area voluntarily formed a local economic community together with local social economy organizations to promote business withdrawal, alley regeneration, and commercial district revitalization, carrying out various projects such as ▲Handmade Stores ▲YouTube channel ‘Alssulsajap (A Useful Social Economy Miscellany)’ ▲Saturday Table ▲Trustworthy Stores.

The Dangsan-gol local economic community began when the social enterprise Bonobossi (CEO Lee So-ju) opened a caf? and social kitchen in Dangsan-gol. Centered around Bonobossi, the district office, merchants, residents, as well as social economy organizations located in Dangsan-gol such as Neighborhood Power Plant Cooperative, social enterprises Lomo and Highcycle, joined forces to form the ‘High-Sugar Dangsan-gol Lifestyle Commercial District Promotion Committee’ (hereafter, the Promotion Committee).

Since late 2019, residents have regularly met weekly to hold meetings aimed at revitalizing the Dangsan-gol alley economy. Although initially awkward, after half a year, they have been actively sharing many opinions and creative ideas with social economy organizations, working together to create a friendly yet new Dangsan-gol.

First, the Promotion Committee recruited a planning team to select ‘Handmade Stores’ that use fresh ingredients. The planning team selected two Handmade Stores (Yoo Jin Chuncheon Dakgalbi, Sushi Ui) considering ▲origin of ingredients ▲taste ▲owner’s willingness.

The selected Handmade Stores received consulting on store branding and menus, and their signboards and interiors were newly renovated reflecting residents’ opinions.

Additionally, DID (Digital Information Display) was installed at the store entrances to promote store menus and Dangsan-gol related project content, participating in creating a mutually beneficial alley economy.

Along with this, the Promotion Committee simultaneously carried out online and offline projects to activate the resident community. First, they operated the online YouTube channel ‘Alssulsajap,’ introducing activities of residents, social economy organizations, and groups active in Dangsan-gol.

Offline, seven ‘Resident Opinion Collection Boards’ were installed throughout Dangsan-gol, through which many resident opinions related to facility improvement and environmental creation were gathered. In response, the district installed recycling waste bins and clothing collection bins in Dangsan-gol, and plans to install new lighting in the second half of the year.

Also, to accommodate residents who want to use restaurants in Dangsan-gol, which are mostly closed on weekends, the ‘Saturday Table’ was operated. Every two weeks, restaurants take turns providing Saturday lunch to residents through advance reservations. Through ‘Saturday Table,’ residents can share weekend lunches with neighbors, and merchants secure customers on weekends through the reservation system.

Furthermore, the Promotion Committee selected about 10 stores as ‘Trustworthy Stores’ that maintain strict hygiene and use reliable ingredients to support small merchants struggling due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. To overcome COVID-19, residents and merchants joined hands to distribute neighborhood restaurant maps, share eco-friendly disposable products, and support disinfectant supplies centered around these ‘Trustworthy Stores.’

The Promotion Committee, formed alongside the lifestyle commercial district-based projects, became an opportunity for residents and social enterprises to collaborate in thinking about neighborhood development and revitalizing alley commercial districts.

Based on this experience, the Promotion Committee is preparing to create a sustainable local economic community in the future in the form of a (tentative) Village Development Committee and Village Development Fund.

Meanwhile, the district established the Social Economy Division under the Future Vision Promotion Team in 2019 and is promoting various projects to activate social economy organizations based on the region and realize social economy in daily life, such as the ‘Local Problem-Solving Social Venture Team Development Project,’ ‘Co-living Project for Apartment Complexes,’ ‘Resident Technology School,’ and ‘Apartment Life Workshop.’

As a result of these efforts, the number of social enterprises in the region increased about 1.7 times from 43 (as of January 2019) to 74 (as of June 2020). This indicates that social enterprises based in the region have established themselves as economic actors within the community, and resident satisfaction with the social economy has also reached a high level.

Chae Hyun-il, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, said, “As a result of working together with residents to improve the ‘bad caf?’ alley environment in Dangsan-gol, residents themselves are finding and practicing solutions,” and added, “We will support Dangsan-gol to become a community where residents, merchants, and social economy organizations coexist and prosper together.”