Neglected Vacant Buildings in the Old Downtown
Revitalized Through Repurposing, Not Demolition
A Win-Win for Urban Vitality
Youth Entrepreneurship and a City Where People Want to Stay
Buildings that once cast shadows over the city have now become a stage for young people.
On December 19, Pohang City held the opening ceremony for the youth startup hub 'popen (Pohang Open Space)' at Silgaecheon Street in the Jungang Shopping District, Sangwon-dong, Buk-gu. This hub was created by remodeling a vacant building.
Pohang City held the opening ceremony of the youth startup hub 'popen (Pohang Open Space)' on the 19th at the Central Shopping Street Stream Road in Sangwon-dong, Buk-gu. Photo by Pohang City
The youth startup hub 'popen' is the first project under Pohang City's vacant building improvement initiative. Rather than demolishing long-neglected vacant buildings in the old downtown area, the city chose to repurpose them, improving the cityscape while also establishing a space to support youth entrepreneurship.
This space, created through collaboration among citizens, local universities, and the local government, offers young people a practical venue for entrepreneurship and new challenges. It has also helped revitalize the old downtown by bringing people back and restoring vibrancy to the area.
In particular, the space will be operated in partnership with POSTECH, and various support programs are planned to help local young entrepreneurs, including graduates of the POSTECH Apple Academy, continue their entrepreneurial activities.
Starting with this first project, the city plans to gradually expand the initiative to utilize vacant buildings throughout the downtown area. The goal is to transform the urban environment into a place where people want to stay, centered around youth startup spaces that are integrated with cultural and creative support spaces as well as new industry education facilities.
In addition, the city will continue to support young people by connecting these efforts with youth housing policies such as the '1,000-Won Housing' program, helping them solve both housing and employment challenges and settle in the region with stability.
Mayor Lee Kangdeok said, "The opening of this youth startup hub is a case where citizens, local universities, and the local government joined forces to provide a stage for young people to take on new challenges and to restore vitality to the city center. We hope that more vacant buildings across the city will be transformed into spaces where entrepreneurship, culture, and education come together, and that, in connection with youth housing policies like the 1,000-Won Housing program, these efforts will encourage the younger generation to settle down in the region."
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