Achievements Including the Barrier-Free Pedestrian City
Mapo District in Seoul announced on July 2 that its "On-site Mayor's Office," a program where the mayor listens to residents' concerns directly in the field to find solutions, has reached its 500th session. This initiative, in which the district mayor personally visits various sites to hear residents' voices and seek resolutions, has become a representative communication and administrative model of the 8th popularly elected administration.
Park Kangsu, Mayor of Mapo District, urgently established an on-site civil complaint office to prepare measures against ground subsidence. Provided by Mapo District Office.
The first "On-site Mayor's Office" was held on July 28, 2022, beginning with resolving the inconveniences faced by residents of Seongsan 1-dong. Residents had experienced difficulties due to the lack of a direct passage to World Cup Stream. Park Kangsu, Mayor of Mapo District, visited the site in person, identified the problem, and quickly installed a pedestrian deck to World Cup Stream, thereby resolving the residents' inconvenience.
The On-site Mayor's Office goes beyond simply receiving civil complaints. By traveling throughout Mapo, the mayor has visited a variety of locations such as Red Road, Silppuri Welfare Center, flood-prone areas, children's school routes, and senior welfare centers, gathering residents' input and reflecting it in highly tangible policies.
As a result, over the past three years, the mayor has visited sites on average once every two days, practicing hands-on administration. In April, Mayor Park urgently inspected a ground subsidence site at 22 Yanghwa-ro 19-gil, listened to residents' concerns related to a nearby reconstruction project, and promptly resolved the issue. In the same month, he visited the Nanji Rainwater Pumping Station and Mangwon 2 Rainwater Pumping Station to review ways to utilize idle spaces and established resident-priority parking lots for the convenience of the community.
On June 27, he visited the completed "Barrier-Free Road," created to strengthen walking rights for transportation-vulnerable groups. This project was proposed by Mayor Park, who has shown great interest in people with disabilities and transportation-vulnerable residents, with the aim of building a city where everyone can move without discrimination. Since May last year, the district has improved the pedestrian environment at a total of 247 locations through a comprehensive survey and maintenance of crosswalks, working toward a safe and convenient "barrier-free pedestrian city."
Mayor Park Kangsu stated, "The On-site Mayor's Office, which began with the determination to listen and find answers in the field, has now reached its 500th session. I will continue to travel throughout Mapo, staying close to residents' lives, thinking through problems together, and finding solutions together." He added, "One hour of the mayor's time is equal in value to 370,000 hours, the collective time of our 370,000 residents. Knowing the weight and responsibility of this, I will not waste a single moment going forward."
Park Gangsu, Mayor of Mapo District, inspects the site to ensure the safety of children's school routes. Provided by Mapo District Office.
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