"Child-Friendly Street Festival" Held on the 15th
Chipyeong-dong's "Walkable Communication Theme Road" Gains Popularity
A Variety of Child-Centered Content Offered
Kim Ikang, Mayor of Seo-gu, Gwangju, is delivering a congratulatory speech at the "Gamtan Hero (Road) Child-Friendly Street Festival" held on the pedestrian-only road near Uncheon Children's Park in Chipyeong-dong on the 15th. Provided by Seo-gu, Gwangju
On November 15, Seo-gu District in Gwangju hosted the "Child-Friendly Street Festival," a venue for communication and community, at the pedestrian-only road area of Gamtan Hero (near Uncheon Children's Park) in Chipyeong-dong.
"Gamtan Hero (Road)" was established as a child-friendly street at the end of October as part of Seo-gu's ongoing "Walkable Communication Theme Road Project." The name combines "Gamtan" from Chipyeong-dong’s brand identity "Gamtan Village," with "Hero," and "Here + Road," emphasizing that children are heroes in practicing carbon reduction.
The street is filled with eco-friendly elements and child-friendly content. A 150-meter "Ten Thousand Troops Mural," made from 100,000 recycled plastic bottle caps, was created along the wall of Jungheung Apartment Complex 2. Additionally, ten "Renew Benches" crafted from 10,000 recycled uniforms provided by Gwangju Shinsegae were installed throughout the area, further reflecting the philosophy of Gamtan Village.
The street also features ground games designed by children, symbolic sculptures, nighttime landscape lighting, and a media facade. In particular, the media facade, based on the "Aesthetics of Five Minutes" concept, encourages visitors to linger for more than five minutes in front of the artwork. Media artist Lee Lee-nam vividly depicted the world of The Little Prince through delicate video art.
Uncheon Children's Park, which opened in May, was designed with direct participation from children. It features the largest slide in Seo-gu and a 27-meter-long zipline, making it a popular destination for children.
The "Child-Friendly Street Festival" held on this day offered a variety of programs that families and children could enjoy together, reflecting the theme of Gamtan Hero (Road). Activities included an ESG canvas painting session, eco-friendly experience booths such as making plaster air fresheners, and on-site voting to select the character for Seo-gu’s child-friendly city initiative.
Kim Ikang, Mayor of Seo-gu, stated, "Watching children play in the street and experience the values of the environment and communication, I felt that Gamtan Hero is becoming an educational space in daily life. We will continue to expand streets where children are the main characters and create spaces where all residents can gather and share stories."
Meanwhile, as part of the "Walkable Communication Theme Road Project," Seo-gu continues to experiment with "car-free streets." Various community participation projects have been held at Modeumoa-gil in Pungam-dong, including a water festival, ice play experience, and night market. At Uncheon Terrace Road in Sangmu 2-dong, Seo-gu has also introduced a communication-focused alley culture by hosting night markets in collaboration with local shop owners.
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