Seven Cities and Counties in Gyeonggi Province, Including Uiwang, Receive Korea Urban Awards

Seven cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province, including Uiwang City, have been selected as municipalities with well-established living infrastructure.

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 17th that in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's '2017 Korea Urban Awards,' Uiwang City received the Presidential Award, Siheung City, Paju City, Pyeongtaek City, and Yangpyeong County received the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award, Suwon City received the Award from the Korean Association of City Planners and Urban Designers, and Ansan City received the Award from the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements.

The awards ceremony will be held on the 18th at Pyeongtaek Lake Tourism Complex as part of the 11th City Day event, hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Since 2000, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has been presenting the Korea Urban Awards by evaluating the sustainability and living infrastructure levels of 229 cities, counties, and districts across the nation.

This year's Urban Awards were selected by an evaluation committee composed of experts from various fields, including the Korean Association of City Planners and Urban Designers and the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements, who conducted assessments from June to August in four categories: urban society, urban economy, urban environment, and support systems.

Uiwang City, which won the Presidential Award this year, was highly evaluated for establishing the foundation of a self-sufficient city despite 84.6% of the city's total area being restricted by a development prohibition zone. Key achievements include opening the Wangsong Lake rail bike, developing it as a regional tourism destination, undertaking urban development projects in areas such as Baekunvalley and Jangan District, and establishing the Uiwang Advanced Industrial Complex. The city was also recognized for applying Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) in public restroom improvement projects and promoting resident-participation 'Warm Village' projects.

Cities and counties that win Urban Awards receive incentives, including bonus points in the selection process for projects receiving fiscal support from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, enabling smooth acquisition of national funding.

Meanwhile, the City Day event scheduled to be held in Pyeongtaek City, which won the Presidential Award last year, will feature a diverse program including a commemorative ceremony, awards ceremony, national land and urban policy forum, and urban design competition exhibition.

Shin Yong-cheon, Director of the Urban Policy Division at Gyeonggi Province, stated, "Following Pyeongtaek City last year, Uiwang City has won the Presidential Award again this year," and added, "Consecutive wins by local governments in Gyeonggi Province demonstrate the high level of urbanization throughout the province, and we will continue to provide administrative and financial support for building more livable cities."