Aged Public Buildings in Daegu, Daejeon, and Others Reborn as Citizen-Friendly Spaces

(Data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] Aging public buildings in Suseong-gu, Daegu, and Jung-gu, Daejeon, among others, will be reborn as citizen-friendly complex spaces.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 2nd that it has selected a total of four public buildings located in Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do; Suseong-gu, Daegu; Jung-gu, Daejeon; and Buyeo-gun, Chungcheongnam-do as the 6th pilot project sites to discover and spread successful models of the 'Aging Public Building Renewal Project.'

Renewal refers to all construction activities including new construction or remodeling.

Since its implementation in 2015, the Aging Public Building Renewal Project is a project in which public institutions such as Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) first invest in aging public buildings and develop them into mixed-use public, welfare, and revenue facilities to enhance resident convenience and revitalize the economy.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport conducted on-site investigations and preliminary reviews on seven candidate sites received through a public contest held for about two months from August 12.

Subsequently, at the pilot project selection review held on the 25th of last month, the final sites were selected through a comprehensive evaluation of public interest, aging degree, feasibility, ease of project promotion, and local government willingness.

The average usage period of the public buildings in this pilot project is 40 years, and considering the surrounding development conditions, local residents' development demands, and feasibility, the plan is to promote them as various cultural and welfare spaces that citizens can use together.

Kim Sang-moon, Director of Building Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "We expect this pilot project to be a good example where public buildings become regional landmarks that revitalize the local economy, provide convenience to local residents, and ensure building safety."