Busan City Creates Safe and Pleasant Commute Routes with 'Child Safety Green Forest'

Fine Dust Blocking, Rest Area Provision, and Ensuring Children's Traffic Safety

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Busan City will invest 900 million KRW this year to create ‘Child Safety Green Forests’ at four elementary schools in Busan.

The school route to Shindo Elementary School in Haeundae-gu, established in 2022.

The ‘Child Safety Green Forest’ project involves creating forests that separate sidewalks and roadways around the main entrances and connecting roads of elementary schools located in school zones.

These forests reduce fine dust, provide resting spaces, and offer safe and pleasant routes to and from school for children vulnerable to air pollution, thereby ensuring traffic safety. Especially in summer, they provide a comfortable commuting environment for children vulnerable to heatwaves.

This year’s sites include ▲Yongsu Elementary School in Buk-gu ▲Jwasan Elementary School in Haeundae-gu ▲Yangun Elementary School in Haeundae-gu ▲Jangseo Elementary School in Geumjeong-gu. Last year, the city also invested 1 billion KRW to create Child Safety Green Forests at five locations including Daecheon Elementary School in Nam-gu.

The city plans to plant various trees and shrubs that can stimulate students’ curiosity in the Child Safety Green Forests to be created this year, and also establish insect habitats, making them living ecological restoration sites within the city as well as spaces for nature experience and ecological education.

Lee Geun-hee, Director of the Environmental Policy Office of the city, said, “The ‘Child Safety Green Forest’ not only provides safe and pleasant routes to and from school but is also expected to benefit children’s health, emotions, and education as a space for nature experience and ecological education,” adding, “Our city will continue to expand the Child Safety Green Forests in the future.”