First Step in Central-Local Authority Transfer
10 AM on the 20th at Tongyeong International Music Hall
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Busan City will announce a joint petition for the improvement of the Greenbelt system by the three metropolitan cities/provinces of Bu-Ul-Gyeong at 10 a.m. on the 20th at the Tongyeong International Music Hall in Gyeongnam.
Since discussions on the improvement of the Greenbelt system by local governments took place at the Regional Development Cooperation Meeting on December 19 last year and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT)-Provincial Governors' Council Chairpersons' Meeting on December 26, the three metropolitan cities/provinces of Bu-Ul-Gyeong have been striving to lead the practical transfer of Greenbelt authority from MOLIT through joint responses.
At that time, the Minister of MOLIT responded positively to the demand for changes in land use regulations outside the metropolitan area, creating a favorable atmosphere for the improvement of the Greenbelt system. The three metropolitan cities/provinces of Bu-Ul-Gyeong shared the view that it is the right time for a new paradigm regarding the Greenbelt system, which is the background for the announcement of the joint petition.
Starting with the first meeting held in Busan on December 29 last year to discuss the promotion system and schedule, three meetings (January 9, January 27, and February 7) were held, during which the three metropolitan cities/provinces finalized common tasks for Greenbelt system improvement, and related policy research was conducted by each city/province's research institute.
Looking at the contents of the joint petition, the three metropolitan cities/provinces demand the complete lifting of the Greenbelt and the full transfer of authority. In case MOLIT finds it difficult to accept this immediately, they request the priority acceptance of short-term tasks such as expanding the total amount of lifting, relaxing lifting criteria, and easing standards for permission of activities.
Furthermore, the system improvement contents jointly proposed by Bu-Ul-Gyeong are not intended for indiscriminate urban development. They emphasize that local governments have sufficient urban growth management capabilities and promise to independently operate Greenbelt management plans suited to their respective environments to achieve environmentally friendly development and urban management.
In particular, Busan City has emphasized securing the total amount of Greenbelt lifting as a priority.
This is because it plans to create airport complex cities and new towns linked to large-scale national projects such as the 2030 World Expo and Gadeok New Airport. The 2nd Eco Delta City, the establishment of a Northeast Asia logistics platform, and the creation of an industry-academia-research innovation growth hub through the relocation of the Haeundae 53rd Division military base are key projects for Busan's future, and the city's position is that securing the total amount of Greenbelt lifting is a prerequisite for these.
Mayor Park Hyung-jun, who will announce the joint petition today, said, “The three metropolitan cities/provinces of Bu-Ul-Gyeong officially make a joint petition for the improvement of the Greenbelt system and urge MOLIT to make a full decision on the transfer of Greenbelt authority,” adding, “I hope that the joint petition for the improvement of the Greenbelt system will serve as a symbolic starting point for the government's recent comprehensive authority transfer policy and become a model case where metropolitan areas cooperate to lead the transfer of government authority.”
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