On the 26th, Daegu City held the 'Dongseongno Renaissance Project' public-private council at the Sangyeok Government Building auditorium to restore the honor of Dongseongno, the heart of Daegu, and to revitalize the stagnant downtown area, officially launching the project.
The 'Dongseongno Renaissance Project,' which Daegu City has been promoting since last year to bring about a revolutionary change in Dongseongno, will enter a full-scale phase this year after a preparation period involving securing national funding and other project costs, conducting feasibility studies to specify the project, and consulting with related organizations.
A meeting of the 'Renaissance Project Public-Private Council,' which is being promoted to revitalize the stagnant Daegu Dongseong-ro, is taking place at the Sangyeok Office of Daegu City Hall.
The 'Dongseongno Renaissance Project' public-private council, established to build a cooperative network and operate communication channels for the project, consists of experts in culture and tourism, commercial districts, transportation, and urban spaces, as well as related organizations and merchants. It collects diverse opinions on each task to jointly address current issues and serves as a focal point for the successful promotion of the project.
At this meeting, to promote the project in earnest this year, progress was reviewed for 13 projects across four sectors, and current issues, cooperation matters, and various ideas for comprehensive and organic promotion were discussed.
Starting with the Dongseongno commercial district revitalization project in February this year, major projects such as the pilot project for the downtown campus town, space creation and commemorative events for busking sites, renewal of 2·28 Park, landmark development of the former central police substation plaza, and designation of Dongseongno as a tourist special zone were discussed. Attendees agreed that this year will be the most important year and emphasized the need to concentrate all efforts.
Key opinions from experts in each field included: "A long-term plan is needed to rebirth Dongseongno as an attractive cultural space by integrating unique spaces and programs" (Culture and Tourism Division, Anna Jin-na, CEO of Hula), "A strategy is needed to develop content with Dongseongno's unique 'locality' so that the MZ generation and tourists can experience Dongseongno more" (Commercial District Division, Seong Dong-hyun, Community and Economy Team Leader), and "2·28 Park is being renewed from three major perspectives: accessibility, landscape, and being bright at night, and it needs to be developed as a space where the MZ generation and citizens can gather together" (Urban Space Division, Nam Jeong-moon, Vice Chairman of the Urban Park Committee).
Lee Junho, president of the Dongseongno Merchants Association, said, "Dongseongno is still struggling due to the online market and large department stores," adding, "I hope the project will be successfully implemented so that Dongseongno can be reborn as a youthful street full of cultural arts and attractions that cannot be experienced elsewhere."
Ahn Jung-gon, Director of the Daegu City Economic Bureau, said, "This year will be a breakthrough year for Dongseongno," and added, "We will do our best to reflect the various opinions derived from the public-private council so that Dongseongno can become a world-class attraction filled with youth, citizens, and tourists, like Times Square in New York, where the lights never go out."
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