What Did Dongdaemun-gu Mayor Ilhyung Lee Discuss in His Special Lecture to Staff After Visiting Portland, USA?

District Mayor Ilpyeong Lee Visited Portland, USA from 10-17 to Experience City Vision and Local Ecosystem Building...Special Lecture for Staff on 25th at District Office Auditorium Emphasizing Shift from Growth-Centered Urban Planning to ‘New Urbanism’ Valuing Community and Neighborhoods

Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul (Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) announced on the 26th that it held a performance sharing meeting on overseas official business trips under the theme "What is a city?".

On the 25th, at the auditorium on the 2nd floor of the district office, Mayor Lee Pil-hyung of Dongdaemun-gu, who appeared as a presenter, shared with the staff the experiences from his recent visit to Portland, USA, and the development vision for Dongdaemun-gu derived from it.

Mayor Lee visited Portland, USA, from March 10 to 17, a city gaining attention for proposing a new urban model that reduces carbon emissions based on the concept of a "20-minute neighborhood," and examined the city's vision and local ecosystem establishment plans before returning.

Located in Oregon, USA, Portland is based on the concept of a "20-minute neighborhood," where within a 20-minute walk or bike ride from home, residents can access ▲schools ▲theaters ▲grocery stores ▲parks ▲hospitals and small commercial districts for economic activities, creating a car-free living environment that protects the environment and builds a local ecosystem, considered a good example.

In the lecture that day, Mayor Lee emphasized that the paradigm of urban planning is shifting from "growth-oriented" to "New Urbanism," which reexamines community and neighborhood values and pursues urban diversity.

He also defined the city the district aims for as ▲a city where public spaces are alive ▲a happy city centered on people ▲a sustainable city for all, and revealed plans to revitalize traditional markets, a collective of local creators, to transform into a city where "tradition and modernity coexist."

Mayor Lee Pil-hyung of Dongdaemun-gu said, "We signed an agreement on a staff training program with Portland State University. Starting next year, two district employees will be sent to Portland for job training," adding, "Like the 'Moon Shot Project' conducted by the US during the moon landing, let's break existing frameworks and change our thinking to create change in Dongdaemun-gu."