Children Must Play Right Now

Nowon-gu Launches 1000-Day Project to Create an Inclusive Play Environment Without Barriers of Disability or Age

Public-Private Partnership ‘Making Playgrounds for Everyone to Enjoy’ 1000-Day Project

Comprehensive Survey of Local Children's Park Play Environments by August This Year; ‘Playground for Everyone to Enjoy’ Planned in Nohae Sports Park in Early Next Year

Alongside the District’s ‘Five-Year Living Park Regeneration Plan,’ Aiming to Create Comfortable and Safe Healing Parks for All Generations with Enhanced Exercise, Rest Areas, and Children's Play Facilities

Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced the launch of a 1000-day project to create an inclusive play environment to guarantee children's right to play.

The goal is to foster social awareness and atmosphere that recognize children's right to play, and to create play spaces where all children can play freely without restrictions due to disability or age.

On the 3rd, the district signed an agreement with the social welfare organization Save the Children Korea (President Jung Tae-young) to cooperate on space improvement projects and raising awareness to ensure the right to play for all children. The agreement is effective from February 24 this year until November 20, 2025, World Children's Day, lasting 1000 days.

The 1000-day inclusive play environment project consists mainly of ▲diagnosing barrier-free inclusive play environments in neighborhoods ▲implementing playground improvement plans based on diagnosis results ▲holding resident participation workshops related to inclusive playground creation.

First, the play environments of children's parks in the area will be diagnosed. By August this year, a ‘Nowon-gu Inclusive Play Environment Diagnosis Team’ of 150 members including children with disabilities, children without disabilities, and adults will be formed to conduct a comprehensive survey of playgrounds in local children's parks.

After completing the inclusive play environment diagnosis, a playground improvement plan will be established and implemented. Aiming for opening in the first half of next year, a playground in Nohae Sports Park (1 Nowon-ro 22-gil) will be prioritized and created as a ‘Playground for Everyone to Enjoy (Inclusive Playground).’ Subsequently, renovations will be carried out according to the priority of improvements in local children's parks.

Resident participation workshops will also be held. These workshops aim to involve children and residents in creating the Playground for Everyone to Enjoy (Inclusive Playground) and to reflect their opinions. In August, a workshop will be held for children with disabilities, and in October, a session will be organized for children without disabilities and adults to discuss the design direction of the inclusive playground.

In addition, the district is promoting a ‘Five-Year Living Park Regeneration Plan’ targeting 28 living parks and 90 children's parks in the area. The condition and maintenance needs of the parks are being carefully examined, and 21 neighborhood parks and 74 children's parks will undergo major repairs by the end of this year.

Park regeneration is being carried out in a way that highlights the unique characteristics of each area, including circular walking paths, exercise spaces, grassy yards, rest areas, and reinforcement of children's play facilities. The project to create comfortable and safe healing parks for all generations, from infants to the elderly, began in 2019 and has already completed over 60 parks.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, “It was regrettable that spaces and time for our children to run and play freely are gradually decreasing, so I am grateful that Save the Children is joining us. We will do our best to promote children's rights, including the right to play, so that all children can be happy in a better environment.”

Gwanak-gu Takes Steps to Achieve Zero Accidents in School Zones

Comprehensive Inspection of Child Protection Zones... Checking Various Facilities and Removing Hazards in Advance

Efforts for Child Traffic Safety with ‘Gang Gam-chan QR Code’ for Illegal Parking Reporting and Highly Visible ‘Smart Crosswalks’

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) is working hard to prevent accidents in school zones by conducting a focused inspection of child protection zones last month, aiming for zero accidents in school zones.

The district conducted a comprehensive inspection of various facilities installed in 70 child protection zones in line with the school opening season. Traffic safety facilities such as ▲the condition of child protection zones and red pavement markings ▲separation between roadways and sidewalks were checked, as well as road accessories like ▲speed bumps and anti-slip facilities ▲road mirrors and protective fences, reviewing overall traffic safety management.

The district immediately repaired subsided ground and unsecured banners that obstruct pedestrian movement within child protection zones, and carefully inspected elements that enhance driver visibility such as speed limits and red pavement markings.

In particular, considering the main provisions of the Road Traffic Act amendment proposed in the National Assembly in January, which include installing sidewalks and roadways separately and prioritizing protective fences, the district plans to promptly install these where space allows in child protection zones lacking sidewalks or protective fences.

Gwanak-gu is striving for ‘Zero Child Traffic Safety Accidents’ by installing ‘Gang Gam-chan QR Code signs’ for illegal parking reporting in all child protection zones, implementing an IoT-based illegal parking prevention system, and installing highly visible ‘Yellow Carpets’ and ‘Smart Crosswalks’ as part of various child traffic safety projects.

The district also inspects facilities in 11 elderly protection zones and is working to create a pedestrian environment where vulnerable road users can move safely.

A district official said, “We will continue to maintain and improve traffic safety facilities to prevent child traffic accidents in school zones. Above all, we will prioritize residents' safety and do our best to create a safe city where children can play with peace of mind.”