Gyeonggi-do Creates 'Ssamtji Park' in Vacant Houses...Nation's First Public-Private Partnership

Gyeonggi Province has transformed vacant houses into ‘Ssamsi Parks.’ Ssamsi Parks are parks located on small leftover spaces between buildings.

On the 5th, Gyeonggi Province announced that, in collaboration with Pocheon City and the KMS Volunteer Group, it created the first ‘Gyeonggi Province-style Public-Private Partnership Vacant House Maintenance’ project by converting a vacant house in Pocheon City into a Ssamsi Park for local residents.

The public-private partnership vacant house maintenance is a model that utilizes social capital in the form of private volunteer organizations in a vacant house maintenance project traditionally led by public authorities. This project was carried out together with the KMS Volunteer Group, composed of about 50 retired non-commissioned officers from the Pocheon area. This public-private partnership vacant house maintenance is the first of its kind nationwide.

Gyeonggi Province, in collaboration with Pocheon City and the KMS Volunteer Group, is transforming a vacant house in Pocheon City into a small community park for residents as the first project of the "Gyeonggi Province Public-Private Partnership Vacant House Maintenance" initiative. Photo by Gyeonggi Provincial Government

The recently completed vacant house maintenance project transformed a vacant house in the residential area in front of the village hall in Sin-eup 7-dong, Pocheon City, into a Ssamsi Park for residents, providing a place for relaxation.

Gyeonggi Province plans to continue encouraging the creation of public-use facilities through vacant house maintenance projects.

Gyeonggi Province believes that to sustain the public-private partnership vacant house maintenance projects, it is necessary to have vacant house maintenance projects involving various participants, such as social economy organizations related to urban regeneration.

Woo Seong-je, head of the Gyeonggi Province Regeneration Support Team, stated, "This is a successful example of a vacant house maintenance project promoted through cooperation between the public and private sectors," adding, "We will strive to promote vacant house maintenance projects involving various social economy organizations in the future."