Shin Soonok of Chungnam Council Proposes Creating Underground Park Parking Lots in Urban Areas of Chungnam

Expectations for Alleviating Parking Shortages
Preserving the Urban Environment, an Innovative Alternative

Chun Soonok, a member of the Chungnam Provincial Council, is proposing to create an underground parking lot in the park to alleviate parking difficulties. / Provided by Chungnam Provincial Council

Shin Soonok, a proportional representative from the People Power Party and a member of the Chungnam Provincial Council, has proposed alleviating urban parking difficulties by creating parking lots in the underground spaces of parks.

At the 1st plenary session of the 360th temporary meeting held on July 15, Shin stated, "The parking problem in the Chungnam region has emerged as a serious social issue that goes beyond mere inconvenience, leading to traffic congestion and increased risk of accidents." She pointed out, "In Cheonan, over the past 10 years, the population has increased by 80,000 and the number of registered vehicles by more than 100,000, but the number of public parking spaces has actually decreased by over 1,600, further exacerbating the parking shortage."

Shin explained, "Given the high cost of land compensation and the lack of available sites, it is difficult to build new parking lots in urban areas. Utilizing the underground spaces of parks can be an innovative solution to alleviate parking shortages without damaging the urban environment."

She also cited the underground parking lot at Baemi Park in Pyeongtaek as a representative example.

Shin said, "By using the ground level as green space and leisure areas and the underground as parking, we can improve citizen convenience and ensure a pleasant urban environment." She added, "We should conduct a comprehensive survey of unused underground spaces in parks, focusing on densely populated urban areas in Chungnam, and promote pilot projects in cooperation with local cities and counties, linking national funding and private investment."

She further requested that the relevant departments proactively consider pilot projects, emphasizing that underground parking lots in urban parks are not merely an expansion of space, but a foundation for improving residents' quality of life and providing a pleasant city.