Annual Urban Leisure Population Exceeds 100 Million
Improvements in Festival and Riverside Spaces
Nowon-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) has been consistently monitoring citizens' leisure activity patterns through big data analysis and reflecting these findings in its policies.
Since 2019, the district has been using communication-based big data to assess urban leisure and tourism policies. Rather than relying on one-off surveys, Nowon-gu analyzes the changing trends in leisure activities each year and uses this as foundational data for policy development.
On December 18, the district held the 'KT Festival and Tourism Big Data Analysis Briefing.' Professor Lee Younghwan of Korea University's Center for Digital Innovation analyzed the usage patterns of festivals and urban leisure spaces and proposed policy directions.
The analysis revealed that the annual urban leisure population visiting Nowon-gu this year exceeded 100 million. While the number of residents registered in the district has been gradually declining, the frequency of leisure activity participation per person continues to rise, indicating that leisure is becoming a part of daily life.
By festival, the Coffee Festival and Craft Beer Festival attracted a large number of visitors in their 20s and 30s. There was also a high proportion of visitors from other regions. The Craft Beer Festival saw a significant influx of visitors during nighttime hours and from outside the district, while the Coffee Festival consistently attracted young people living nearby.
Riverside areas have become major leisure spaces. Jungnangcheon and Danghyeoncheon are visited repeatedly by tens of millions of people annually, with many citizens enjoying walks and light exercise in the mornings and evenings.
These findings align with the district's ongoing efforts to expand leisure spaces along the riversides. Nowon-gu has created 'Nowon Dumoolmaru' at the confluence of Jungnangcheon and Danghyeoncheon, transforming the area into a leisure space equipped with cafes, convenience facilities, and observation areas, making it a place to stay rather than just pass through. In the Danghyeoncheon area, the district established 'Danghyeonmaru,' which combines an observatory, pedestrian bridge, and public cafe.
Going forward, the district plans to continue using big data analysis to more meticulously monitor citizens' usage patterns and spatial trends, and to develop a variety of policy ideas based on these insights.
Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, stated, "We are using big data analysis not as a one-off survey, but as a tool to assess and refine our policies," adding, "Based on objective data about how citizens actually use these spaces, we will further enhance the quality of our urban leisure policies."
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