Pohang's 'GreenWay Project' Sees Youth, the Future Leaders, Taking Action!

Greenway Youth Forum Successfully Held with Over 100 Youths, Experts, and Citizens

Youth Presentations Propose ‘A City Combining Residential Environment Centered on Green and Cultural City’

Pohang City Hall.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Pohang City, Gyeongbuk, successfully held the ‘Pohang GreenWay Youth Forum’ on the 25th.

This forum was held to strengthen youth participation awareness in Pohang’s green space policies and to enhance the effectiveness of policy clubs in middle and high schools. Under the theme ‘Drawing the Green Future of the Youth City,’ it consisted of presentations and comprehensive discussions related to green space management, cultural space creation, and residential environment.

In the first part, policy clubs from four schools ▲ Daedong Middle School ‘Bombom’ ▲ Pohang Iron and Steel Middle School ‘GreenWay’ ▲ Semyung High School ‘Urban Regeneration’ ▲ Pohang Idong High School ‘GreenWay’ youth each gave thematic presentations.

First, Daedong Middle School’s ‘Bombom’ presented on ‘Songdo Pine Forest, Residential Environment or Tourism?’ focusing on strengthening residential functions for the elderly and creating jobs for youth. Pohang Iron and Steel Middle School’s ‘GreenWay’ addressed ‘Safe Railroad Forest Creation Plans,’ pointing out safety issues from the perspective of young adolescents and discussing improvements, receiving great response.

Following this, Semyung High School’s ‘Urban Regeneration’ and Pohang Idong High School’s ‘GreenWay’ policy clubs highlighted the limitations of the linear space of Pohang Railroad Forest and the user base limited to middle-aged and older adults. They proposed creating diverse content spaces and building an AR-utilized Arte Museum to attract youth and the MZ generation, raising interest among general citizens participating in the forum.

The policy club presenting on ‘Making a Healthy Pohang City by Bicycle’ proposed establishing a smart bicycle rental system and providing carbon-neutral lifestyle practice points to bicycle users, anticipating improvements in citizen health and realization of carbon neutrality in Pohang.

In the second part of the event, Professor Juil Kim from Handong University’s Department of Spatial Environmental Systems chaired the session. Panelists included Lee Kwan, Executive Director of Gyeongbuk Life Forest, Vice Principal Hyunok Park of Ocheon Elementary School, Director Yongchan Yoon of Jeonghyun Landscape Architecture Office, and Lee Namyeop, representative of cultural heritage activist group F5. Experts from urban planning, landscaping, youth, and cultural fields discussed sustainable green ecological cultural city Pohang together with the youth.

The panelists who participated in the discussion said, “It was impressive to see youths taking an interest in city administration and presenting their opinions on their own,” and added, “Now, as much as expanding green spaces, planning and managing spaces that reflect the demands of various ages and social classes is also important.”

Mayor Kangdeok Lee of Pohang said, “Through the Pohang GreenWay project, we have achieved many results in improving urban landscapes, revitalizing the local economy, and enhancing citizens’ quality of life,” and added, “We appreciate the valuable opinions proposed by the youth, the future of Pohang, who love the region, and we will actively review them to be reflected in actual policies.”