Dongdaemun-gu Creates 2nd and 3rd Urban Gardens Utilizing Vacant House Sites

Following the Creation of the First Community Garden in Dapsimni-dong, Additional Gardens to be Established in Hwikyung-dong and Cheongnyangni-dong in March... March 9th Resident-Led Planting Event... Community Garden Operation and Management by Dong Resident Centers, Expecting Resident Participation

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor You Deok-yeol) is demolishing vacant houses that have been left as urban eyesores, harming the aesthetics and threatening safety, as part of the vacant house utilization Living SOC creation project, and is creating two urban gardens which will be opened to residents.

Following the creation of the first garden in Dapsimni-dong in September last year, the district established the second and third urban gardens in Huigyeong-dong and Cheongnyangni-dong respectively in March this year. On the 9th, autonomous sowing events with local residents, organized by the respective neighborhood community centers, are planned to be held at the newly created gardens in Huigyeong-dong and Cheongnyangni-dong.

The district received support from Seoul City for vacant house demolition costs and garden construction expenses, and carried out demolition and garden construction work over about a month at vacant houses located at 335-22 Huigyeong-dong (No. 2) and 32-8 Cheongnyangni-dong (No. 3), transforming the vacant houses into gardens. The garden areas are 63㎡ in Huigyeong-dong (No. 2) and 99㎡ in Cheongnyangni-dong (No. 3).

The district has divided the first garden created last year in Dapsimni-dong into sections and installed facilities such as water supply, and is currently operating it. The village residents who grow and consume healthy ingredients directly there report very high satisfaction.

You Deok-yeol, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, stated, “Instead of leaving vacant houses that have become ruins unattended, we created urban gardens to transform them into spaces for residents' convenience. Dongdaemun-gu will continue to do its best to establish one garden per neighborhood so that many local residents can equally benefit from village gardens.”