Gwangju City Pushes Forward with Yeokdong Urban Regeneration Project

[Suwon Ilbo=Eom In-yong Reporter] Gwangju City announced on the 14th that it will push forward with the 'Yeokdong urban regeneration project' after the 'Yeokdong Urban Regeneration Activation Plan Amendment (Draft)' received final approval through the Gyeonggi Province Urban Regeneration Committee review.

The Yeokdong urban regeneration project was initially planned to be pursued through a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport competition project, but due to structural restructuring it was significantly scaled down. Consequently, the project was converted to a city-led initiative in October of last year, and an amended activation plan was established. After a resident public hearing and city council consultation in February, the amendment was submitted for Gyeonggi Province approval at the end of March.

The Yeokdong area was designated as an urban regeneration activation zone in accordance with the 'Gwangju City Urban Strategy Plan' in 2018. The project target area spans 150,000 ㎡ from Gwangju Middle School through Gyeongan Market to the Yeokdong 2, 3, 4 Districts Community Center, with a total project budget of 8.18 billion won.

The main project contents are divided into two component projects: 'residential environment improvement' and 'village vitalization enhancement.'

First, a '누구나 어울림센터 (Everyone's Harmony Center, 4-story building)' will be built as an urban regeneration hub facility in the deteriorated housing concentration area around Yeokdong 11-3, to serve as a communication space for residents. Various projects including the operation of integrated childcare centers and resident welfare programs as well as housing repair support will be implemented to improve residential conditions.

In addition, from Gyeongan Market to the Yeokdong 71-78 area (Yeokdong Cube), projects including road and sidewalk improvements and the undergrounding of power lines will create a clean and safe Pabalmari Street. Consultation support for commercial district recovery will be provided through partnerships with local universities to enhance village vitality.

Meanwhile, the city has continuously participated in various urban regeneration projects including small-scale public projects and urban regeneration universities since 2017. The 'Yeokdong Resident Council (Head Representative: Eom Heun-yeong, District 3 Chief)' has expressed strong commitment to activation, and the slogan for the Yeokdong urban regeneration project has been changed to 'Yeokdong (驛洞) becomes dynamic (力動).'

Gwangju City Mayor Bang Se-hwan stated, "Yeokdong is the original downtown area and a central commercial district of our city, but it has many deteriorated buildings over 20 years old, and with commercial activity shifting to large shopping complexes, the regional gap with surrounding developed areas has intensified, causing the original downtown to lose competitiveness." He added, "Through the urban regeneration project, I hope Yeokdong will transform into the dynamic village it once was, and I am committed to proceeding with the project in a way that minimizes inconvenience to users of Gyeongan Market and residents."