Yeongdeungpo Fruit and Vegetable Market Transformed into a Clean, Pedestrian-Friendly Street

Yeongsin-ro 148~171 Fruit and Vegetable Market Street Renovation Completed, Transformed into Pedestrian-Friendly Street... Removal of Illegal Storage and Temporary Structures, Old Awning Maintenance, Installation of LED Signs and Arcades

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yeongdeungpo Fruit and Vegetable Market is returning with a clean and fresh appearance to welcome the new spring.

Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Chae Hyun-il) announced that the grand project of the ‘Yeongdeungpo Fruit and Vegetable Market Pedestrian-Friendly Street Construction’ to renovate the narrow and old streets around Yeongsin-ro 148-171 has been finally completed in March this year.

Despite being a four-lane main road leading to the large local shopping mall Times Square, the Fruit and Vegetable Market street had suffered from narrow sidewalks, illegal stalls, and product stacking, severely infringing pedestrian rights and damaging the urban landscape.

In response, the district established a plan last February to transform the Fruit and Vegetable Market area into a safe and pleasant pedestrian-friendly street by clearing illegal items on sidewalks and roads, installing arcades, upgrading old sewage pipes, and maintaining LED streetlights, aiming for completion in February this year.

The district held more than 20 public hearings and briefing sessions with market merchants and the countermeasure committee to gather local opinions, ensuring smooth progress through dialogue and compromise while modernizing the market facilities and protecting merchants’ business areas.

Additionally, through organic cooperation with related departments and mutual collaboration, the district carefully reviewed improvement measures to ensure sustainable and effective maintenance.

With the completion of the pedestrian-friendly street project, improvements have been made including the removal of product stacking lines previously accepted as routine, administrative enforcement against illegal items and temporary structures on sidewalks, relocation of old city gas pipes and utility poles, removal of old awnings and installation of partial arcades, graphic design and painting work for store exterior art interiors, and installation of LED streetlights to enhance the pedestrian environment and facilities.

A resident living in an apartment near the Fruit and Vegetable Market said, “I have often felt inconvenienced passing through this area for over 20 years, but now I walk with gratitude as it has been cleaned and opened up. Above all, the sidewalks have become wider and cleaner, so I can take walks with my child, which is wonderful. The neat market exterior is also expected to greatly help improve the local image.”

Going forward, the district plans to strictly enforce regulations against product displays and pallet stacking in front of stores to continuously maintain the improved pedestrian environment of the Fruit and Vegetable Market. Regular patrols by on-site inspection teams and voluntary maintenance guidance will be thoroughly implemented for aftercare.

Chae Hyun-il, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, stated, “The completion of the Fruit and Vegetable Market pedestrian-friendly street project will greatly contribute not only to ensuring safe pedestrian rights for residents but also to revitalizing the market’s commercial area. We will provide unwavering support so that the pedestrian-friendly street project, based on communication and coexistence values that began with Yeongjung-ro, can proceed more actively with this Fruit and Vegetable Market renovation as a foundation.”