[The Editors' Verdict] Public Housing in Yongsan Park

There is active discussion about turning a portion of the Yongsan Park site into public housing. While it is good to have a large-scale park close to one million pyeong in the center of Seoul, the argument to supply much-needed public housing in the city center is also quite novel and attractive. Environmental groups and others who insist on the original plan argue that the more parks, the better, and that the discussion is already too late to change. They cite the passage of legislation specifying the land returned by the U.S. military must be used as a park, and the establishment of a development plan through an international design competition as grounds for their position.

If asked for a personal opinion, I lean toward slightly reducing the park size and building apartments. However, the condition is that these are not Gangnam-style apartments but urban residences that include jobs and commercial facilities, creating harmony between the park and architecture. Under such conditions, I believe the park area could be reduced by up to half. There are several reasons for this.

First, the park is excessively large. Central Park in New York is just over one million pyeong, so the scale is similar, but right behind Yongsan Park is Namsan Mountain. Of course, parks created on mountains and flatlands have different characteristics, but a park is not only a place to physically step on and feel nature. It also has environmental aspects and serves as a subject of scenic views.

Second, housing in the city center is a value that cannot be overlooked from many perspectives. Especially, opportunities to supply housing on such a large scale in the city center are rare. This is not about short-term measures against skyrocketing real estate prices, nor is it merely a charitable aspect for the economically disadvantaged. For a city to maintain vitality, various social classes must work and live in the city center. If young people are pushed out of Seoul due to high housing prices, it would be an urban disaster that is irreversible. Providing jobs in growth industries and housing simultaneously could make Seoul a competitive city overall.

Third, architecturally, when buildings exist and create contrast, urban parks shine. If low-rise, high-density housing that does not obstruct views of Namsan is built, it could be an opportunity to bring revolutionary changes to the overall landscape of Seoul. The contrast between parks and architecture, nature and city, would not only be a positive example for cities nationwide suffering from real estate problems but also a model for harmonious urban development.

There is a joke that if New York’s Central Park were submitted for urban planning review in Seoul, it would definitely be rejected. The reasoning would be that it is too suffocating and needs more space, or that buildings and the park are too close and should be set back, and so on. The parks created by making concessions one by one remain in places like Yeouido, Ttukseom, and various new towns under the name Central Park. While better than nothing, their forms are disorganized, so the relationship between the city and the park is not close and feels bland. Utilization is similarly low. This contrasts with the Gyeongui Line Forest Park, which crosses between buildings in a strong linear form, attracting people and revitalizing surrounding commercial areas. Urban parks require three-dimensional and formal planning beyond just open spaces with trees.

Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect who designed Central Park in 1857, reportedly said, "If we do not make a park here now, in 100 years we will need a mental hospital of this size." This was a visionary insight as the world’s first full-scale urban park designer. Applying this to the reality of Yongsan Park, it could be rephrased as, "If we do not build housing here now, in the future we will have to drive to this park, like going to Gwacheon Seoul Grand Park."

Public housing in Yongsan Park is not a single issue like park development or real estate policy. It should be viewed from the broader perspective of a turning point that changes the urban spatial structure of future Seoul.

Lee Kyung-hoon, Professor, Department of Architecture, Kookmin University