Dark Alleys Around Seoul Station Lit Up... Neighborhood Improvement Project Completed

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] The dark and inconvenient old alleyways in the urban regeneration area around Seoul Station have been transformed into safe, pleasant, and bright alleys. The unique atmosphere and characteristics of the alleys have also been revived.

Seoul City announced on the 22nd that it has completed the "Our Neighborhood Beautification Pilot Project" covering 23 sections totaling 4.8 km in Jungnim-dong, Hoehyeon-dong, Seogye-dong, Pildong, and Myeongdong.

Seogye-dong, which has many hilly paths, renovated old stairs and installed handrails to make it easier for elderly residents to move around. A vacant lot that had been used for illegal dumping was transformed into a small park, and an observatory offering views of downtown Seoul was built. The exterior walls and gates of old buildings in some commercial street sections were painted in bright colors.

In Jungnim-dong, where vulnerable groups and people with mobility difficulties are concentrated, old alley floors, stairs, and ramps were renovated to make walking more convenient for residents. Safety facilities such as night lighting and CCTV were installed to ensure safe passage at night. The neighborhood’s previously dark atmosphere was refreshed by greening building walls.

Hoehyeon-dong, which has a concentration of old buildings including Japanese colonial-era houses and is located on the path leading to Namsan Old Trail and Namsan, had sidewalks paved and resting areas and information facilities installed in coordination with the surrounding environment.

Myeongdong, a popular tourist destination, installed guide signs on the ground and building fronts to help first-time visitors find their way easily. Sidewalks on busy streets were also renovated to improve the overall scenery.

Pildong was improved into a pedestrian-centered road by paving the roadway and installing speed bumps to encourage slow driving. Handrails were installed on sloped pedestrian paths, and damaged walkways were repaired to resolve residents’ inconveniences.

The "Our Neighborhood Beautification Pilot Project" has been promoted since 2017 as part of the urban regeneration project around Seoul Station. It is a resident-participatory urban regeneration project focused on revitalizing local communities and restoring regional competitiveness in residential areas with poor walking environments.

In particular, residents led the entire process from site selection to planning and project completion, making it a model case of urban regeneration.

For example, the alley sections needing regeneration were selected jointly by the Urban Regeneration Support Center, public entities (Seoul City, Jung-gu), and residents. During the design process, various opinions from residents about daily inconveniences were collected and reflected. During construction, residents directly monitored the site and helped address issues.

Residents expressed high satisfaction. They said the previously dirty buildings and streets have become clean, the installation of CCTV has reduced illegal dumping and will help prevent crime, handrails on stairs will greatly reduce mobility difficulties this winter for those with movement challenges, and emergency fire equipment boxes are now easily visible and can be quickly found in emergencies.

Seoyangho, Mayor of Jung-gu, said, “We planned the alley improvement direction together with the local residents’ council and carried out the construction, transforming the alleys into spaces residents can truly feel. Above all, residents thought about the local issues themselves and solved them, becoming a successful model of alley urban regeneration.”

Ryu Hoon, Director of Seoul City’s Urban Regeneration Office, said, “The Our Neighborhood Beautification project is about finding the identity of the neighborhood together with residents and renovating it accordingly to improve residents’ living environment. We focused on fully realizing the basic purpose of urban regeneration by reflecting residents’ opinions and enhancing the sense of safety and convenience needed in daily life. We will continue to do our best to create a safe and pleasant residential environment through public-private cooperation.”