'2040 Gwanak-gu Comprehensive Urban Management Plan Establishment Grand Forum' Held

[Seoul District News] Presenting Long-Term Urban Development Directions for Gwanak with Residents · Urban Policy Discussions Involving 'Sector Experts' and Resident Representatives as 'Local Issue Experts'... Dongjak-gu Adds Left-Turn and U-Turn Lanes at Shinsangdo Elementary Intersection... Nowon-gu Creates Pedestrian-Friendly Streets Around Gwangwoon University Station in Wolgye-dong... Yongsan-gu Improves Cheongpa-ro Bicycle Road... Yangcheon-gu Holds Design Competition for Onsu Park-2 District Development Project

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) will hold a "2040 Gwanak-gu Comprehensive Urban Management Plan Establishment Grand Forum" at 3 p.m. on the 7th in the main auditorium of Gwanak-gu Office to establish a long-term urban development direction in celebration of the launch of the 8th local government.

The "2040 Gwanak-gu Comprehensive Urban Management Plan" is a comprehensive and long-term urban management plan that will serve as a "comprehensive guideline for urban policy" to reflect urban policies tailored to the changing environment, such as the recent opening of the Sillim Line in Gwanak-gu, the Western Line and Nangok Line railway network plans, smart city initiatives, and the reorganization of waterfront-centered urban spatial structures.

At this grand forum, the district plans to gather diverse opinions on the comprehensive urban management plan through expert explanations and sessions of discussion and Q&A on topics such as "Future Urban Development" and "Realization of Balanced Regional Development."

In particular, there will be extensive discussions on policy directions for current issues such as "Urban Development Direction of Gwanak Area," "Customized Regional Diagnosis," "Activation Plan for Gwanak S Valley Venture Industry," "Systematic Maintenance of Low-rise Residential Areas," and "Specialization Plans for Local Resources such as Gwanaksan Mountain and Nakseongdae."

The discussion will be chaired by Professor Bae Woong-gyu of Chung-Ang University, with participation from five field experts in urban planning, architecture and urban maintenance, transportation, urban landscape, and urban economy, including Baek Woon-soo, CEO of Mirae E&D Co., Ltd., and Ryu Yong-sang, CEO of Anders Engineering Co., Ltd., as well as local issue experts such as resident representative Bang Sang-bok and Gwanak-gu Council member Joo Moo-yeol.

Residents who wish to present their opinions on urban development can attend without prior application and can later participate as members of the resident participation group to jointly create future urban development strategies for Gwanak.

Mayor Park Jun-hee said, "This grand forum is a meaningful communication platform where experts and residents discuss the urban development of Gwanak-gu together," adding, "We expect to establish differentiated and substantial urban policies by actively collecting residents' opinions."

Dongjak-gu (Mayor Park Il-ha) announced on the 6th that it is promoting the installation of left-turn and U-turn lanes at the Shinsangdo Elementary School intersection.

The district requested the installation plan to the police agency after holding meetings with residents to establish left-turn and U-turn lanes at the Shinsangdo Elementary School intersection.

This section had many complaints about vehicle traffic inconvenience because although the Shinsangdo underpass was expanded and opened in December last year, there was no left-turn or U-turn section within the area, forcing vehicles to detour a considerable distance.

Due to residents' continuous requests for the installation of a left-turn lane in front of the CU convenience store, the district reviewed the issues of the traffic improvement plan proposed by the police agency and, through consultation, devised a plan that reflects all the entry routes desired by residents.

Without changing the existing one-way traffic direction and signal system, the district is promoting the installation of left-turn and U-turn lanes as the optimal alternative that can be implemented in a short period and does not disrupt surrounding vehicle traffic.

Through this, residents in the area are expected to experience less inconvenience when entering the residential area near Yaksu Mansion, which previously required a long detour.

Mayor Park Il-ha said, "We will proactively respond and quickly resolve residents' inconveniences as soon as the police agency's review is completed," adding, "We will always be by the residents' side to change the concrete aspects of life so that everyone can feel pride in living in Dongjak-gu."

Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it has transformed the area around Gwangwoon University Station and Seokgye-ro into a representative pedestrian-friendly street in Wolgye-dong through the establishment, expansion, and maintenance of sidewalks.

The area around Gwangwoon University Station is a representative densely populated area in Wolgye-dong. It includes subway stations such as Gwangwoon University Station and Seokgye Station, as well as Gwangwoon University, kindergartens, and Wolgye 1-dong daycare centers, attracting a daily floating population of up to approximately 64,000 people ranging from children to university students and the elderly. Recently, the Gwangwoon University station area development project has also become more visible, increasing residents' interest in a safe road environment.

The district started the "Gwangwoon University Station Area Pedestrian Environment Improvement Project" in July last year after a preparation period involving design, advisory, and resident opinion collection, and is scheduled to complete it by July this year.

The improvement project proceeded in three main areas. First, the "Seokgye-ro sidewalk width expansion." The sidewalk was narrow and severely damaged, raising concerns about pedestrian safety accidents, but through road boundary surveying and resident consultations, a sidewalk width of over 2 meters was secured, completing road structure adjustments. The replacement of the damaged old sidewalks was also carried out to alleviate residents' inconvenience.

Next, "Pedestrian environment improvement including new sidewalk installation." A new sidewalk was installed on Seokgye-ro 13-gil, which had a steep slope making it difficult for elderly and other vulnerable pedestrians to pass. Safety handrails were installed, and color block paving was applied to the residential area's side roads to ensure safe pedestrian passage.

The smooth progress of this project was due to actively collecting residents' opinions during the project implementation. In line with the purpose of the local environment improvement project, the district plans to conduct a resident satisfaction survey by October this year to identify and improve any potential inconveniences after project completion.

Additionally, the district is continuously promoting projects to enhance residents' pedestrian rights and improve a pleasant walking environment, such as renovating old sidewalks and improving traffic systems through the Gwangwon-ro university street creation project, and expanding sidewalks and burying utility poles to establish Gwangwon-ro 1-gil as a representative pedestrian street.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, "We expect the pedestrian environment in the Wolgye-dong area to be greatly improved through the Gwangwoon University Station area pedestrian environment improvement project," adding, "We will continue efforts to improve smooth vehicle traffic and enhance safe and pleasant pedestrian rights for residents by promoting road development projects such as the Gwangwoon University Station to Wolgye-ro road in connection with the Gwangwoon University station area development project."

Yongsan-gu (Mayor Park Hee-young) is promoting the "Cheongpa-ro Bicycle Road Improvement Project" until the end of this month to ensure pedestrian safety and prevent accidents.

The construction section is near Bus Stop No. 1 at Namyeong Station (Namyeong Station, 03131). The construction area is adjacent to the pedestrian path of nearby apartment complexes (Yongsan The Prime), and the bicycle road is located such that residents must pass through the bicycle road to access the sidewalk.

Therefore, the district plans to convert the green strip (1.4m wide) into a bicycle road and convert the existing bicycle road into a sidewalk. The construction section is 49 meters long, with a total project cost of 70 million KRW.

A district official stated, "There were residents' opinions regarding the improvement of the bicycle road in this section, which led us to actively consider the project."

The district submitted the target for bicycle road safety facility expansion and maintenance to the city in September last year and secured 70 million KRW in city funds in February this year.

From April, the district has been coordinating with related agencies such as Yongsan Police Station, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Korea Electric Power Corporation, and Western Road Office for the relocation of utility poles, street trees, shrubs, streetlights, pedestrian caution signs, and crosswalks within the construction section over two months.

Construction of the bicycle road and sidewalk civil engineering works began on June 22, and after additional installation of safety signs and pavement markings, the bicycle road improvement project is scheduled to be completed by the end of this month.

Mayor Park Hee-young said, "Bicycles are a low-carbon eco-friendly transportation mode loved by residents," adding, "We will take the lead in improving bicycle road environments so that both pedestrians and bicycle users can travel safely."

There are a total of 16 designated bicycle roads in the area. Among them, 10.59 km of combined pedestrian and bicycle roads (6 separated and 5 non-separated) are managed by Yongsan-gu, while 2 km of bicycle-only roads (5 locations) are managed by the Western Road Office.

Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Lee Ki-jae) announced that it is conducting a design competition for the "Onsu Park-2 District Development Project" and is recruiting participants until the 11th.

The district is promoting the "Onsu Park-2 District Development Project" to respond to the expiration of urban parks by creating a community-oriented park on the site where long-term unexecuted urban park compensation projects have been completed, organically connecting the fragmented ecological environment, and transforming it into a representative ecological and cultural hub in the southwestern region of Seoul.

Onsu Park-2 District was subject to the park sunset policy (2020), facing the risk of losing its park designation validity, but the urban park compensation was completed in 2019, and the urban management plan was changed from "Urban Natural Park" to "Neighborhood Park" in 2020.

The site consists of a total of 10 parcels covering 28,155.5 square meters. To the south of the park is a green corridor connecting Onsu Park-2 District (Jiyangsan) and Yeonui Park. The central part of the park has a gentle slope and is currently used as a community garden for residents. The outer parts of the park adjacent to large residential complexes and schools have steep slopes mostly covered with forest.

In particular, Onsu Park-2 District, a part of Jiyangsan Mountain, not only organically connects Jiyangsan, Yeonui Park, and Onsu Park-3 and 4 Districts, which are separated by arterial roads, but also serves as a highly valuable mediator connecting and expanding major ecological environments in Yangcheon-gu such as Neomeundeul Park and Gaenam Park.

The district plans to restore the ecological value of Onsu Park and promote a design service with expertise, technicality, and creativity by analyzing the park's surrounding characteristics, usage patterns, and culture.

Registration for the design competition is open until the 11th, and proposals must be submitted by 5 p.m. on September 8.

Eligibility includes those who have received a construction business license in the landscaping field under Article 21, Paragraph 1 of the Engineering Industry Promotion Act, or those who have registered a technical office in the landscaping field under Article 6 of the Technical Engineer Act.

The district plans to select the winning design through a design competition review committee based on the submitted proposals. The winner will be granted the basic and detailed design rights for the project, and prize money will be awarded to the winners.

For more details on the Onsu Park-2 District Development Project design competition, refer to the Public Procurement Service's Nara Marketplace website (announcement) or contact the Parks and Greenery Division of Yangcheon-gu Office.

Mayor Lee Ki-jae of Yangcheon-gu said, "Through this competition project, we will create a new key park that restores the damaged forest at risk of expiration due to the park sunset policy, connects with the excellent natural environment of Jiyangsan, and secures ecological soundness."