Suwon to Create 'Yeonmu-dong Urban Regeneration Harmony Center' as Village Vitality Hub and Resident Focal Point

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Junseong] The 'Yeonmu-dong Urban Regeneration Harmony Center,' an intergenerational facility serving seniors and children that will become a village vitality hub and focal point for residents, is being created in Yeonmu-dong, Suwon City.

Suwon City, which is implementing the 'Yeonmu-dong Urban Regeneration New Deal Project,' recently began construction of the Yeonmu-dong Urban Regeneration Harmony Center (tentatively named 'Intergenerational Harmony Space'). The project is scheduled for completion in June this year.

The Yeonmu-dong Urban Regeneration Harmony Center (Lot 252-14, Yeonmu-dong) is a four-story building with a total floor area of 331.16㎡. Seniors' community centers will be located on floors 1-2, and the Suwon City Together Care Center will be on floors 3-4. A small-scale remodeling project for the 'Jjokbaksan Children's Park,' for which residents had requested facility improvements, will also proceed concurrently.

Design work began in December 2020, and three resident briefing sessions were held to gather community input on the direction of the Harmony Center. In October last year, a report session was held to review the reflection of residents' opinions.

The 'Yeonmu Village Management Social Cooperative,' which received establishment approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on December 16 last year, will undertake operation and management of the Yeonmu-dong Urban Regeneration Harmony Center.

The Yeonmu Village Management Social Cooperative, a resident self-help organization, will operate resident focal point spaces created through the Yeonmu-dong Urban Regeneration New Deal Project.

Befitting the name 'Intergenerational Harmony Space,' the seniors' community center will operate a seniors' university to help elderly residents find employment, while the Together Care Center will provide educational and recreational programs for local children in need of care.

The Together Care Center, a civic pledge project under the current administration's seventh term, is a facility that provides care services to all elementary school children (ages 6-12) in need of after-school care. The center plays a significant role in reducing childcare burdens on dual-income households and addressing gaps in elementary school childcare services. It operates play, study guidance, and specialized programs and provides meals and snacks.

Yeonmu-dong was selected as a target site for the 'Second Half 2019 Urban Regeneration New Deal Competition Project,' organized by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, in October 2019. The project, which began in 2020, is scheduled to be implemented in stages through 2023.

The project is pursuing the creation of the Harmony Center, village maintenance projects, and smart infrastructure construction projects, while the Urban Regeneration Field Support Center operates various capacity-building programs led by residents.

A city official stated, "While Yeonmu-dong has diverse social welfare facilities and a good natural environment, the vitality of the area is declining as aging residential areas deteriorate," adding, "We expect the Urban Regeneration Harmony Center to serve as a village vitality hub and focal point for residents." The official further noted, "We will promptly create a residential urban regeneration focal point that responds to residents' expectations and efforts."