City of Seoul – Beautiful city with remembrance
The city of Seoul has developed in the last 50 years at a phenomenal rate. However, as a world city with over 10 million inhabitants, the city must take a step forward. This will be acheived by improving the quality of life and quality of development, instead of increasing development quantitatively.
The aim of the project was the analysis and evaluation of the previous planning objectives and policies for the city of Seoul, and the development of future visions for the city.
Three major themes were:
1. The creation of a new center for the city of Seoul. The existing historical center should be expanded up to the Han River and act as a link in Yongsan.
2. The improvement of housing quality and the development of alternative housing typologies. The city of Seoul has, until now, focused only on a quantitative development without attention to the quality of life in residential neighborhoods. If the trend continues at the current rate of construction, in 2020, approximately 80% of the total residential typologies of Seoul will be apartment high-rises.
3. The comprehensive view of the topography along the Han River to the mountains surrounding Seoul. This will play an important role in the cityscape of Seoul in the future. Particular emphasis is placed on linking different green and water areas in the urban area.
Consistent with these three major themes, subject areas were selected and examined, in order to be used for test designs simulations. The purpose of this was to ensure that the research was not comprised only of political guiding principles without ideological content, but that it also includes models that are shown graphically in real urban space. The preservation of identity and history of the city of Seoul always remains an important point, without total destruction, but under gradual urban repair under the motto "Seoul, beautiful city with remembrance."
