Architecture & Urban Research Institute(AURI) Foundation

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of the AURI was carried in the National Assembly in December 2006, and the establishment com-mittee of the AURI was organized in February 2007. The AURI’s first president, Ohn, Yeong-Te was inaugurated in June 2007, and the AURI held the opening ceremony in August 17, 2007. By January 2008, the AURI had admitted 28 full-time workers including : 1 president, 2 research fellows, 8 associate research fellows, 9 assistant research fellows, and 8 administrative workers.

The AURI consists of the planning and coordi-nation department, the administration depart-ment, and three research labs : the policy re-search lab, the design rere-search lab, and the pro-gram research lab. The functions and duties of each department are as follows. The policy research lab focuses on the establishment of the basic direction and the development of architec-ture and urban design policies for the govern-ment and municipalities. The design research lab focuses on the management of the urban land-scape and the improvement of public space design. The program research lab conducts

researches on the development of programs for creating user-oriented space in public facilities including government offices and culture and welfare facilities, and studies guidelines and pro-vides research services for administrative affairs related to the design competition for the architec-ture and urban projects of the public and private sector. The planning and coordination depart-ment consists of Research Managedepart-ment Team, Budget Team, and Architecture & Urban Infor-mation Center. The department establishes the development strategies, research directions of the institute and supports the activities of each labo-ratory, promotes the development of the institute through the active cooperation with various research institutes across the world, and collects architecture and urban information.

In 2007, as it is the AURI’s first year, the AURI performed researches to foster its research capaci-ty and to diagnose present status and condition to improve architecture and urban space in Korea. Major research projects in 2007 are

“Policy direction to improve value of public

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architecture”, “Establishing new concepts and review on current status for improving urban public space”, “Humanist study for architectural and urban policy”, and “Explorative research for information infrastructure of architecture and urban space”. Along with the research projects, the AURI has been involving many activities in a short period after its opening. The AURI hosted the Public Architecture Design Forums discussing future public architecture with diverse social groups. The title of the first forum was “Public Architecture, What is the current problem?” and the title of the second forum was “School facility for our children, is it good enough now?” Also, the AURI concluded MOU with the Berlage Insti-tute in the Netherlands and (Museum of Finnish Architecture). To support overseas activities of Korean contemporary architects, the AURI hosted the ‘S(e)OUL SCAPE’ exhibition which is planned to tour 3 countries including Italy.

Ohn Yeongte President of Architecture&

Urban Research Institute Profile

■Educational Background

Ph. D. Urban Planning, University of Penn-sylvania(1988)

Master of Urban Planning, Seoul National University(1975)

Barch, Seoul National University(1972)

■Professional Experience

Professor, College of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Kyung Hee University(1992- ) Principal Research Fellow, Korea Research Institute for Human Settlement(1989-92) Researcher, Regional Development Re-search Institute in Korea Institute of Sci-ence and Technology(1980-81)

Manager, Junglim Architects and Engi-neers, Ltd.(1978-80)

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The Road Policy Research Center was opened on July 13, with the Vice Minister of Construction and Transportation and senior government offi-cials in the relevant fields along with experts in the related fields participating in the opening cer-emony. Aiming at exploring future-oriented road policies, the center, as a core think-tank for pub-lic roads, is intended to devise systematic and comprehensive measures for road maintenance by collecting road policy-related data and devel-oping major policies. In addition, the center has played its due role in strengthening the network between related research institutes, contributing to maximizing the synergistic effect of the research outcome.

The primary outcomes achieved during 6 months can be summarized are as follows: First, the center set the evaluation criteria and proce-dure for local government's master plan of public roads and its revised version, through the consent from local governments officials who are respon-sible for the public road works. Based on the cri-teria and procedure, the center examined and reviewed the consistency and rationality of the road master plans suggested by six local

provinces including Seoul and Gyunggi province, in terms of secure in commence time and scale of between central and local government's road master plan.

Secondly, the center suggested more than ten examinations to central government, reviewed by some road and transportation experts, for the placement of a roadway passing through Songdo district as in second circular expressways of Seoul Metropolitan area, and the adjustment and performance of the expressway line number sys-tem, and the approval of local connecting roads such as line number 1030. Thirdly, the center set up an information distribution system to strengthen expert network related to road con-struction and policy, and to gain a firm grasp of foreign and domestic road policy. As an effort to share the information, monthly road policy brief-ing publications are distributed for road policy planners and experts and the website(www.road-research.or.kr) was opened mot only to allow public opinions voiced from citizens but also to contribute to policy decision making and road related research by supplying foreign and domes-tic road statisdomes-tics data and policy trends.