Three Types Finalized: Bus Stops, Manhole Covers, and Information Signs
Busan City to Register Designs in the First Half and Distribute to 16 Districts, Counties, and Agencies
Unified Citywide Design to Prevent Disorder and Enhance Urban Competitiveness
The streets of Busan are set to become ‘sleek.’ The designs for public facilities such as bus stops and information signs have been developed and recently finalized.
Busan City (Mayor Park Hyung-jun) announced on the 4th that it has developed standard designs for public facilities to be applied consistently throughout the city to enhance urban design quality and citizen convenience.
Previously, Busan City recognized the urgent need to develop new public designs in response to the rapidly changing urban environment and selected three types of public facilities with significant ripple effects to develop standard designs.
After conducting a priority demand survey across 16 districts and counties last year, Busan commissioned the development of Busan-style public facility standard designs and recently finalized the designs through the Public Design Promotion Committee’s resolution.
The newly developed standard designs will be applied to three types of public facilities: ▲bus stops ▲manhole covers ▲information signs (for open spaces and public pedestrian paths). A Busan city official explained that the focus was on enhancing user convenience and facility functionality while implementing designs that harmonize well with the cityscape.
The appearance of the existing bus stop.
For bus stops, a modular structure allows easy expansion and modification, enabling various applications depending on installation conditions. Additionally, LED lighting is applied to the bus stop names to improve visibility. The color is set to gray, the city logo type, which can be applied in up to five levels depending on the surrounding landscape. Universal design features such as emergency bells, voice guidance, braille, and QR codes are incorporated to accommodate transportation-vulnerable groups.
The manhole covers feature the city’s urban brand logo in relief and are divided into pedestrian and roadway types considering material strength. Pedestrian concrete manhole covers use the same material as the pavement for a harmonious image, while roadway cast iron manhole covers have textured surfaces to prevent slipping and enhance safety.
Information signs for open spaces and public pedestrian paths apply Busan’s urban landscape colors and city brand colors. The letters themselves are used as logos to improve citizens’ recognition and readability of spatial information. The development and dissemination of standard designs will prevent indiscriminate urban design and create an urban environment befitting Busan as a global hub city.
Previously, public facilities were produced with different design patterns, colors, and materials depending on the managing local government, making it difficult to create a unified urban image. This standard design development attempts to create an integrated and systematic streetscape. It is expected to help reduce budgets by preventing duplicate design development between the city and autonomous districts and secure the uniformity of Busan’s public facilities.
Busan City plans to complete design registration by the first half of this year and distribute design blueprints to related organizations, including the 16 districts and counties, for use in projects.
Kim Yoo-jin, head of Busan City’s Future Design Headquarters, said, “The development of standard designs for public facilities provides consistency in form and color and allows harmony with the surroundings,” adding, “It is expected to establish urban identity and elevate the prestige of Busan as a global design city.”
Existing bus stop information sign.
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