[Yongsan's Future] 41 Public Contribution Sites Planned... "Systematic Management Needed to Ensure All Residents Benefit from Development"

Local Government's First 'Donation and Contribution Information Plaza'
Systematizing Public Contribution Facility Planning, Installation, and Management
Compiling a Comprehensive Facility Data White Paper
Preparing to Enhance Related Functions This Year

Yongsan Youth Voice is operated under consignment from the edutech company Open Nori Yongsan-gu. Provided by Yongsan-gu.

Interior view of Hangangro Fitness Center. Provided by Yongsan-gu.

College student Kim Dong-jun (alias) visits the fitness center on the basement first floor of the public facility building at Yongsan Central Park Harrington Square, Hangangno 3-ga, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on days when his classes end early. The ‘Hangangno Fitness Center,’ which is about 660㎡ in size, opened 3 years and 6 months ago. It is equipped with a gym, equipment Pilates, and a GX room, and last year alone, 50,000 people (based on total visits) used the facility. Although the facility is upscale, since it is operated by the public sector, monthly registration and half-price discounts with the multi-child card are available.

After finishing his workout, Kim stops by ‘Yongsan Youth Jium,’ a youth community space on the third floor of the same building, to work on assignments or check if there are any events suitable for him.

Yongsan has many such district-owned donation facilities (public contributions). In the past, public contributions were mostly received in the form of infrastructure such as roads or parks. However, after the revision of the Enforcement Decree of the National Land Planning Act, building public contributions became possible, diversifying their forms.

Yongsan is expected to receive more public contribution facilities in the future than it has so far. There are numerous urban maintenance-type redevelopment project sites awaiting development, including the Hangangno Station area, the north side of Sinyongsan Station, the front area of the maintenance depot, Namyeong-dong, and Seogye-dong. There are also more than twenty special planning zones yet to proceed, including the Yongsan International Business District, Seoul Station, and Huam-dong. The Hannam 2, 3, 4, and 5 district redevelopment projects have just begun, and reconstruction projects such as Sindonga Apartments, Hangang Mansion, Cheonghwa Apartments, as well as the complex development of the UN Military Headquarters site and the Asia Apartments housing construction project, are either underway or in the early stages.

Park Hee-young, mayor of Yongsan District, said, "There are a total of 41 sites where public contributions are planned according to ongoing or upcoming development projects in Yongsan, which has many aging urban areas. To ensure that not only stakeholders but all residents can benefit from development, it is necessary to systematically organize and utilize public contribution facilities."

The departments supplying public contribution facilities are development project permitting departments such as Urban Planning and Redevelopment Project divisions. The actual facility demand departments are those related to culture, sports, or social welfare, so collaboration and information sharing are essential. From the time development plans are established to the actual public contribution period, it can take more than 10 years. The person in charge may change several times, and surrounding conditions and living environments may differ. Facilities that were necessary in the past may now be inefficient.

Status of donation facilities in Yongsan-gu. Provided by Yongsan-gu.

If meticulous and detailed administration is not carried out, public resources will be wasted. With this concern, Mayor Park created the ‘Donation Information Communication Plaza’ on the internal network for the first time among local governments in August last year. The idea was to systematize the planning, installation, and management of public contribution facilities arising from regional development and to allow not only related departments but all employees to share information and provide feedback. It also includes detailed management cards where one can check drawings showing public contribution plans, lists of public contribution plans by project, and official notices. The head of the Strategic Urban Development Team, who is the related practical department head, also personally conducted employee training.

Yongsan District is preparing to enhance the functions of the ‘Donation Information Communication Plaza.’ It will display the locations of district-operated cultural and welfare facilities on a map for easy viewing and include a comprehensive white paper on completed public contribution facilities, as well as basic data such as installation costs and required area.

Mayor Park said, "Although the authority to upgrade zoning and decide on public contribution facilities lies with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, it is the district office’s role to review and propose the feasibility of resident convenience facilities needed in the area. Thorough investigation and systematic installation and management of public contribution facilities are key tasks that Yongsan District, currently in the midst of development during the 8th local government term, must definitely take care of."

*Glossary

Public Contribution (Donation) ? When a local government relaxes various regulations such as land use changes or floor area ratio increases during development, it receives infrastructure sites or installation costs from the developer in return.