Seven Project Sites Selected Through Citizen Participation Contest
Large Sidewalk Blocks and Lowered Curbs to Enhance Urban Landscape
Total Project Cost of Approximately 5 Billion KRW; Completion Targeted for This Year
Goyang Special City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Dong-hwan) announced on the 21st that it will promote the creation of the “Goyang Raon-gil,” a pedestrian-friendly path developed together with citizens to improve the walking environment and enhance the urban landscape.
The creation of Goyang Raon-gil is part of the eighth-term administration’s pledge to establish a “Barrier-Free (BF) living environment,” focusing on urban environment improvements led actively by citizens. “Raon” is a pure Korean word meaning “joyful,” and “Raon-gil” refers to a pedestrian path where citizens can walk safely and happily.
This project is particularly notable as a resident-participatory initiative where citizens directly contributed ideas and took part in the evaluation process.
In October of last year, the city held a citizen participation contest to select areas across Goyang City that require sidewalk maintenance. The contest was conducted by having citizens propose areas needing sidewalk repairs, and a panel of about 50 citizen evaluators assessed the submissions, enhancing the project’s transparency and reliability.
Out of 20 candidates, the final selected project sites include seven locations: ▲ Goyang-dong, Deogyang-gu ▲ Hwajeong 2-dong, Deogyang-gu ▲ Gobong-dong, Ilsandong-gu ▲ Baekseok 1-dong, Ilsandong-gu ▲ Jeongbalsan-dong, Ilsandong-gu ▲ Ilsan 3-dong, Ilsanseo-gu ▲ Daehwa-dong, Ilsanseo-gu.
The city plans to meet diverse pedestrian needs by applying large sidewalk blocks, barrier-free designs for vulnerable pedestrians (such as lowered curbs), and expanding effective sidewalk widths at the project sites. Additionally, design elements reflecting the cultural and historical characteristics of Deogyang-gu and the Ilsan East and West districts will be introduced to make the pedestrian paths attractive urban assets.
The total project cost is approximately 5 billion KRW. The city secured 421 million KRW for design fees in the 2025 main budget and plans to secure additional construction costs to complete design and construction within this year.
The city expects this project to set a new standard for urban maintenance and serve as a reference for improving pedestrian environments in other regions through similar approaches.
Mayor Lee Dong-hwan of Goyang said, “The Goyang Raon-gil project is an important first step in designing the city’s future based on citizen participation and a sustainable vision for becoming a pedestrian-friendly city. I hope that Goyang Raon-gil will go beyond simply creating pedestrian paths to offer citizens new daily joys and serve as a catalyst for overall urban transformation.”
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