Soyoung Park of Daegu City Council: "Is There a Solution to the Severe Parking Shortage at Dongdaegu Integrated Transfer Center, the Gateway to Daegu?"

Call for a Five-Minute Free Speech
Solving the Issue with Smart Policy

Soyoung Park, a member of the Daegu City Council (People Power Party, Dong-gu District 2), will emphasize the need for a practical and sustainable policy shift to address the severe parking shortage near the Dongdaegu Integrated Transfer Center during a five-minute free speech at the 318th extraordinary session on July 18.

Park pointed out, "Although the integrated transfer center, which brings together high-speed rail, intercity buses, urban rail, and a department store, serves as a key gateway and core hub for Daegu, the parking lots are always at full capacity, and issues such as illegal parking, traffic congestion, and threats to pedestrian safety are recurring."

Soyoung Park Daegu City Councilor

She further stated, "As of 2023, Daegu's parking lot provision rate stands at 97.4%, the lowest among special and metropolitan cities, compared to Seoul (142.5%), Ulsan (122.1%), and Busan (113.6%)." She argued that, "To respond to the ongoing increase in demand and changing urban conditions, a new approach is needed, moving beyond policies focused solely on expanding physical space."

In response, Park advocated for a transition to a 'smart parking policy' that organically combines technology, private sector cooperation, and spatial strategies. She proposed establishing a comprehensive parking plan linked to urban planning, transportation policy, and commercial district revitalization; introducing flexible pricing systems based on demand by time and location; and promoting parking sharing to make use of idle hours in private parking facilities.

She particularly emphasized that integrating public and private parking information to manage parking supply and demand across Daegu could not only enhance policy precision but also improve the efficiency of budget execution.

Soyoung Park stated, "The parking issue at the integrated transfer center is not just a matter of inconvenience, but one that is directly linked to the city's competitiveness." She added, "It is time for the integrated transfer center to be reborn as a 'symbol of smart transfer,' rather than a 'symbol of complexity.'" She is expected to urge the city of Daegu to promptly conduct a feasibility study on the proposed policies and to demonstrate responsible administrative capacity to ensure these proposals lead to actionable strategies.