Awarded in the Public Sector
for Urban Environment and Landscape
The carbon-neutral urban regeneration project promoted by Gwangmyeong City in Gyeonggi Province has received the Grand Prize at the '2025 Korea Urban and Regional Innovation Awards.'
On the 19th, Gwangmyeong City announced that it had been selected as the recipient of the Minister of the Interior and Safety Award in the urban environment and landscape category at this event, which is hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
The city explained that the award was given in recognition of its efforts to go beyond simple physical improvements to the urban environment during the urban regeneration process, achieving both community revitalization and climate crisis response based on citizen participation.
Since 2018, the city has been carrying out urban regeneration projects in the old downtown areas, starting with the Neobudae Park area in Gwangmyeong 5-dong (66,900 square meters), and including Gwangmyeong 3-dong (131,300 square meters), Gwangmyeong 7-dong (78,400 square meters), Gwangmyeong 5-dong (52,900 square meters), Cheolsan 2-dong (133,000 square meters), and Soha 2-dong (441,500 square meters).
During the urban regeneration process, the city established a deliberative process and public-private governance structure by operating the Urban Regeneration Master Planning Group, the Urban Regeneration Residents' Council, and the Urban Regeneration Promotion Group, which identify and address citizen-centered, locally tailored agendas. Through on-site support centers, the city has been strengthening resident participation and cooperation by running educational programs, meetings, and festivals throughout the project.
In particular, through citizen participation, the city has been promoting various carbon-neutral initiatives, including the creation of village forests and community gardens, home energy efficiency renovations, and carbon-neutral education programs.
Park Seungwon, Mayor of Gwangmyeong City, stated, "The true value of urban regeneration lies in the process where citizens diagnose problems themselves and work together to solve them," adding, "By integrating the critical challenge of responding to the climate crisis, we will create a sustainable green city together with our citizens."
The Grand Prize award ceremony will be held on the 24th at the '2025 Korea Urban and Regional Innovation Industry Expo' in Samcheok, Gangwon Province. At the expo, the city plans to showcase its Gwangmyeong-style urban regeneration policy brand, 'Green Light Gwangmyeong,' and present its major achievements and blueprint for urban regeneration.
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