Mayor Lee Donghwan of Goyang Visits King's Cross in London to Seek Solutions for Urban Transformation

Lee Donghwan, Mayor of Goyang, Explores Sustainable Urban Strategies
City Promotes "Future Towns" in Old Downtown and Redevelopment in Ilsan New Town
Goyang Seeks Creative Solutions for Urban Renewal

Goyang Special City in Gyeonggi Province, led by Mayor Lee Donghwan, visited King's Cross in London, a leading example of successful urban regeneration in the United Kingdom, to explore ways to revitalize aging urban infrastructure in areas such as the old downtown of Goyang and Ilsan New Town.

Lee Donghwan, mayor of Goyang Special City, is conducting an urban regeneration site seminar at London Coal Drops Yard and discussing sustainable cities with the visiting delegation of the council (from left: Kim Byungsoo, mayor of Gimpo, Lee Donghwan, mayor of Goyang Special City, Lee Gangdeok, chairman of the council and mayor of Pohang, Dr. Kim Junghoo). Provided by Goyang Special City

On September 4 (local time), Mayor Lee Donghwan visited King's Cross with a delegation from the Council of Mayors of Major Cities of Korea, chaired by Lee Kangdeok, mayor of Pohang. The group listened to local experts explain London’s urban regeneration process and policy management, and held in-depth discussions on urban development, regeneration, and sustainable cities in Korea’s major metropolitan areas.

Located in central London, King's Cross was once a hub for transportation and logistics in Europe during the Industrial Revolution, but the area rapidly declined due to changes in industrial structure. As old warehouses and factories lined the streets, crime and unemployment spread. However, in 1996, the designation of St. Pancras Station as the departure point for the Eurostar marked a turning point for the area.

Thanks to the success of a large-scale urban regeneration project, King's Cross has become a stage for global companies, now hosting the UK headquarters of Google and the Samsung brand experience center, "Samsung King's Cross." The former "Granary Building," once a goods unloading dock, is now home to Central Saint Martins, part of the University of the Arts London, while the old coal warehouses have been transformed into the "Coal Drops Yard" complex shopping mall. The "Tate Modern," a former power station on the banks of the Thames, has become one of the world’s top three modern art museums.

Mayor Lee, together with the delegation, toured Pancras Square, Central Saint Martins, and Coal Drops Yard, observing the trends in urban transformation firsthand.

Kim Junghoo, director of the Urban Architecture Policy Research Institute at City, University of London, who guided the group, emphasized, "To transition to a sustainable city, creative benchmarking tailored to local circumstances is essential. The participation of both businesses and citizens is key to the success of urban regeneration."

Mayor Lee stated, "It has been over 30 years since not only the old downtown of Goyang but also Ilsan New Town was established, and now is the time for a major transformation in urban growth. For the old downtown, we are designating 'Future Towns' to promote small-scale redevelopment projects, while in Ilsan New Town, we are establishing redevelopment plans to overhaul aging urban infrastructure."

He added, "Taking inspiration from King's Cross, which has been transformed into a creative space centered on youth and culture, we will revitalize our city through a variety of incentives related to employment, housing, culture and the arts, and leisure."

Meanwhile, after concluding his schedule in London, Mayor Lee will travel to Berlin, Germany, to continue discussions on local autonomy and policy cooperation.