Pyeongtaek City Completes Inspection of 'Smart Green City Development Project'

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Lee Su-won] On the 22nd, Pyeongtaek City inspected the site of the 'Smart Green City (Water Cycle) Development Project,' which was selected as a project in the Ministry of Environment's contest and completed in January.

Seven government officials participated in the site inspection, including Pyeongtaek City Mayor Jung Jang-seon and Director of the Environment Bureau Lee Gang-hee.

The city was selected for the Ministry of Environment's Smart Green City Contest in 2020 and received 60% of national funding over three years from 2021 to 2023, creating five green infrastructure (LID) sites for stormwater in the Tongbok Stream watershed, including Biveon-dong, Tongbok-dong, and Segyo-dong, as well as 1.3 km of urban streams.

Green infrastructure (LID) facilities for stormwater are designed to reduce stormwater runoff by expanding green spaces and ecological spaces in urban areas to increase infiltration, evaporation and transpiration, and reuse. In the Tongbok Stream watershed, which has a high imperviousness rate compared to the nation (62.2%), the facilities are equipped with permeable blocks, low-flow retention blocks, rain gardens, and bioswales.

Additionally, the ecologically developed stream provides comfortable rest spaces for citizens, contributing to improved urban landscape and enhanced quality of life for local residents.

Meanwhile, the city plans to conduct an environmental impact assessment of the Smart Green City (Water Cycle) Development Project to review whether it effectively addresses climate change issues, including stormwater runoff and non-point pollution reduction effects and soil moisture content.

After touring the site, Mayor Jung Jang-seon of Pyeongtaek City said, "Through the Ministry of Environment's Smart Green City Project, we have not only improved the distorted water cycle caused by the rapid expansion of impervious surfaces, but also established a model that comprehensively addresses environmental issues facing modern cities, including the construction of an air quality smart control center, monitoring of urban eco-system restoration, and installation of an environmental education center," and added, "We expect this will be of great help in solving Pyeongtaek's environmental problems in the future."