Gwangju University Architecture Students Participate in 'Asia City Cultural Exchange' Project

Photos of Gwangju University Department of Architecture students' '2025 Asia City-to-City Cultural Exchange' project. Provided by Gwangju University

Students majoring in architecture at the Department of Architecture, Gwangju University, are actively engaging in local activities in Jakarta, Indonesia, as part of the '2025 Asia City-to-City Cultural Exchange' project.

According to Gwangju University on May 9, the cultural exchange program, which began on May 3, aims to enhance urban safety and comfort, as well as improve residents' quality of life, by creating public spaces that apply CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) principles.

CPTED is an urban planning and architectural design strategy intended to prevent crime and improve urban environments, and it is a technique that is attracting global attention.

The project is hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Gwangju City, and organized by the non-profit Gwangju Isseo NC (GJS&C) and Ichil (27). Participating partner organizations include the Jakarta Metropolitan Government, Jakarta State University (UNJ), ARCOLABS, and the Department of Architecture (five-year program) at Gwangju University.

Through this collaborative project, young artists from both countries are jointly planning and designing creative public cultural spaces that reflect CPTED principles, and by sharing these with the local community in Jakarta, they are working together to establish a new model of international cooperation that combines urban safety with culture.

From the Department of Architecture at Gwangju University, fourth-year students Moon Kyunghwan and Lee Dongyun, as well as third-year students Kim Kyungwan and Cho Sihyung, are participating in the project. They are conducting design workshops and field research in Jakarta until May 10. The project will continue through online collaboration, and in September, the team plans to revisit Jakarta to hold a results presentation.

In October, a comprehensive results presentation will be held in Gwangju, with officials from the Jakarta Metropolitan Government and Jakarta State University in attendance. This cultural exchange project is being recognized as a model case for strengthening networks among young Asian artists and realizing urban safety and cultural solidarity through CPTED.