Daegu Downtown 1.16㎢ Designated as Tourist Special Zone; Central-ro Public Transport Exclusive Zone Deregulation Proposed

Promotion of Dongsung-ro Revitalization Project

'Decline Due to Decrease in Foot Traffic'

On the 6th, Daegu City announced the launch of the ‘Dongseongno Renaissance Project’ aimed at restoring the honor of Dongseongno, the downtown area of Daegu, and revitalizing the stagnant city center through tourism, youth culture revival, alley economy and commercial district activation, and reorganization of the urban spatial structure, seeking a groundbreaking transformation of Daegu’s downtown.

Since the 1960s, Dongseongno has served as Daegu’s representative commercial district for over 40 years, centered around shopping, dining, drinking, and entertainment. However, since the 2000s, as various large and small commercial districts emerged within the city, its reputation began to gradually decline.

In particular, the development of e-commerce based on online platforms dealt a significant blow to Dongseongno’s shopping malls. Additionally, the outbreak of COVID-19 caused a sharp decrease in foot traffic, leading to a rapid increase in vacancies, especially in commercial and retail facilities.

Daegu Dongseong-ro near Daegu Department Store.

In response, Daegu City plans to implement the ‘Dongseongno Renaissance Project’ consisting of 13 projects across four sectors to create a unique brand identity for Dongseongno in various fields such as tourism, culture, arts, and entertainment, and to build a downtown that attracts young people back.

For the ‘Tourism Activation Sector,’ by 2024, an area of 1.16㎢ covering the four Seongno streets (East, West, South, and North Seongno) will be designated and announced as Daegu’s first tourism special zone, branding it as a global shopping tourism destination.

Moreover, Dongseongno will be developed into a premier busking hotspot by creating performance spaces, making it a representative youth space in Daegu where not only local young people but also young visitors from other regions and overseas can freely express their youthfulness.

The former Central Police Station building, a nostalgic place for the 70s and 80s generation, will be developed into a landmark that expresses the local identity, and trendy and unique photo zones will be installed along major streets such as Dongseongno, Night Market Alley, and Rodeo Street to provide visitors with diverse experiences.

To revive ‘Dongseongno Youth Culture,’ vacant spaces in the downtown will be utilized to establish urban campuses for universities in the region and Gyeongbuk area (including Gyeongsan, Hayang, Chilgok, Gumi, etc.) to increase the influx of young people. Collaborations with private creators will transform city-owned spaces into places where young people can freely enjoy themselves.

Additionally, an online digital platform will be established to enable one-stop short-term rentals of vacant downtown spaces, supporting citizens to autonomously engage in various activities in these spaces.

Furthermore, various youth-focused festivals and events such as the Dongseongno Music Festa, Dongseongno Youth Culture Festival, and Dongseongno Club Day Tour will be discovered and operated, allowing local youth as well as young visitors from overseas and other regions to enjoy Daegu and showcase their talents.

As part of these festivals, starting from September, the largest domestic event promoting consumption of small and medium-sized enterprises and small business products, the ‘Korea Together Festival,’ is scheduled to take place around Dongseongno. In October, during the Fantasia Daegu Festival, ‘Culture Market in Dongseongno’ and the youth-centered participatory comprehensive festival ‘Youth Week’ will be held in the Dongseongno area.

In the ‘Alley Economy and Commercial District Activation Sector,’ the current status and issues of the Dongseongno commercial district will be analyzed, and detailed strategies for commercial district activation will be established through consulting by specialized institutions and business briefings for merchant associations. Based on this, the ‘Ministry of SMEs and Startups Commercial District Activation Project’ will provide various supports such as creating hub spaces, brand development, and establishing a digital commercial environment to improve and activate the commercial district.

In addition, in consultation with Jung-gu Office and merchant associations, a European-style open-air caf? street with a unique Dongseongno atmosphere will be created, promoting alley economy activation projects with Dongseongno’s distinctive character.

Daegu City expects that the active commercial district activation projects will significantly improve the conditions for the sale of Daegu Department Store, a symbol of Dongseongno, which has ceased operations due to the economic downturn. If obstacles arise during the sale process, related regulatory improvements will also be actively considered.

In the ‘Urban Spatial Structure Reorganization Sector,’ a portion of the Jungang-ro public transportation-only zone (from Jungang Intersection to Daegu Station Intersection) will be lifted in consultation with the police. The downtown park will be remodeled into a space capable of hosting various performances and exhibitions, and a walking path connecting these key green spaces will be created so that citizens can stroll through the city center and feel the heartbeat of Daegu.

Daegu City expects that through this project, the characteristics of major spaces such as Gyodong, Hyangchon-dong, Jongno, and Rodeo Street centered around Dongseongno will be strengthened, transforming the entire downtown into a distinctive space offering diverse experiences.

To this end, regular meetings with merchants will be held, and communication channels with young artists and busking stakeholders will be operated continuously, promoting the project as a demand-responsive model through public-private cooperation.

In the first half of next year, a first-year comprehensive evaluation meeting will be held to assess the projects implemented so far, and based on the ongoing ‘Youth Street’ feasibility study results, a more advanced second-year project plan will be established, continuing efforts to make Dongseongno the nation’s premier youth street.

Mayor Hong Jun-pyo stated, “Dongseongno was once the heart of Daegu, where the pride of Daegu’s youth who led fashion and culture nationwide was engraved,” adding, “In a situation where the shopping population is decreasing due to e-commerce, we will reorganize it into a new space that offers unique sights, entertainment, and experiences that cannot be replaced online, revitalizing the downtown centered on Dongseongno.”