Experiences of Korea on Urban Renewal

IX_Research on Urban Renewal Policy

135

Ulsan

Daedeok

Changwon Banweol Yeochon Gumi

Mini new town

Five new towns

Mok-dong Gwacheon

Sungnam

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Bundang Ilsan Pyongchon Sanbon Joongdong

Dongback Jukjeon Chuncheon

Pohang Sanggye-dong

Figure 4_History of Korea’s New Towns

Source: Lee, 2012

3. Experiences of Korea on Urban

Vietnam

136

Figure 5_Cheonggyecheon Restoration Project

Source: skyscraperCity, 2012

Pohang, and Gumi; new cities that supply housing include Seongnam, Bundang, and Pyeongchon; and new cities with complex functions include Ulsan and Gum i.

The construction of new cities on the old cities also meant urban renovation of old areas. During this period, there were many successful policies of urban renewal and urban developm ent such as policies on housing development, land acquisition and resettlem ent, am ong others.

3^rd Period (2000 to Present)

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, when the housing supply ratio reached 100%, the demand for housing decreased. After 40 years since construction, urban areas have gradually deteriorated and there was a need for renovation. Urban renewal in Korea focuses on improving the quality of life in the old areas such as renovating the apartments and public space, im proving the environment and landscape, and res- toring heritage. The Cheonggyecheon Restoration Project is one of the special projects of this period. The project required the dismantling and demolition of an ele-

vated highway and uncovering of a historic 5.8 km waterway that ran underneath. This was transformed into an ecologically sen- sitive green pedestrian corridor. The rest- oration of the Cheonggyecheon became a vehicle for revitalisation, urban renewal, and economic developm ent. It also sig- nified a shift in Korean planning priorities, as there is now a different emphasis given by both municipal authorities and residents on health, sustainability, and social res- ponsibility.

3.2 Legal System for Urban Renewal in Korea

Urban renewal is a wide field related to many fields such as urban planning, hous- ing, land, infrastructure, and environment.

Therefore, m ost of the laws of urban developm ent and the areas listed above also affect urban renewal policies. In the process of renovating old areas, there are m any laws that have been enacted and replaced, which are developed suitably for the growing conditions of each stage. The legal basis for urban renewal in Korea

IX_Research on Urban Renewal Policy

137 include: the Urban Planning Act (effective

from 1962 to 2002), Land Readjustm ent Act (1966-2002), Urban Redevelopm ent Act (1976-2002), and Urban and Residential Environment Improvement Act (1989-2002).

The Act still in effect is known as the Special Act on the Prom otion of Urban Renewal. The purpose of this Act is to pro- m ote balanced urban development and contribute to the enhancement of the pub- lic’s quality of life by prescribing such mat- ters as necessary to developing regional plans for and to ensure system atic and efficient project implementation for: 1) the improvement of residential environment, 2) the expansion of infrastructure, and 3) the recovery of urban functions within decay- ing urban areas (Article 1).

3.3 Lessons Learned

Through the analysis above, it was found that Vietnam had a process of development and urban renewal that was similar to Korea’s. W hile Korea had succeeded in solving these problems, Vietnam has the sam e problems on urban renewal about funds, housing supply, land acquisition, and resettlement. The experience of Korea in terms of urban developm ent and urban renewal, particularly in the period from 1960 to 2000, will be instructive to Vietnam in the current situation, as the following:

Im provem ent of the legal system : To improve the legal system of urban renewal, improving the predictability of the provisions and minimizing the discretionary power of

relevant officials in the policy is needed.

Sim plification and integration of laws and regulations are essential for sustainable urban development, whereas an excessive number of regulations may lead to undesirable urban development and reduce the effect- iveness of regulations.

The government monitors whether urban development projects are conducted according to the legal framework in a proper way.

Detailed zoning regulation: Zoning regulations or land use regulations should contain sufficiently detailed guidelines to avoid rent-seeking activities. Synchronization of infrastructure provision with housing development is essential in avoiding reckless developm ent.

Coordination at the government level:

More coordination is required at the regional level to prevent dysfunctional development of urban fringes.

Establishing a functioning market: For a country where land and real estate market is emerging, it is important to establish a functioning market with a simple and transparent set of laws and regulations.

To help the m arket function efficiently, a relevant information network should be set up, such as a land cadastral map, own- ership registration, land use management system associated with land use policy, land appraisal, land trading management, and land use planning, etc. Also, digitalization of the data and using intelligent systems

Vietnam

138

to m anage this data is needed.

Housing development with self reliance:

Housing development should be coordinated with industrial development to reduce unnecessary commuting trips to the core city.

Environm ental aspects in urban dev- elopment: Environmental aspects should be considered in a region-wide planning so that environm ental sustainability can be achieved at the regional level.

Urban planning conducted in advance of the implementation of urban development:

Urban planning needs to be prepared before land development occurs and be carried out according to the plans, and there should be a strict m anagem ent of urban development. Also, there should be a detailed renovation planning for each old urban area. A development plan is needed for the urban population to relocate and resettle. Arranging housing near work places will reduce traffic jams.

Establishment of public enterprises for urban developm ent: Specialized public enterprises are needed to execute urban development plans and efficiently implement the concomitant resettlement m easures (by learning from the establishm ent of enterprises such as: Korea National Housing Corporation (1963), Korea Land

& Housing Corporation (1978), Korea Expressway Corporation (1969), etc.).

Strengthening the capacity of officials:

It is necessary to research for planning and policy development; and teach to train the cadre of public officials with urban manage -ment, urban development, and urban re- newal. There is a need for organizing train- ing courses and learning from national and international experiences.