- Creation of New Territory Values and Strategies for Green Growth Oct. 1 2008
International Seminar in commemoration of 30th anniversary, Korean Research Institute for Human Settlements
Yeong-Kook, Choi
Now, at the beginning of the 21st century, Korea is preparing for a new jump.
Although the nation obtained materialistic affluence to some extent thanks to our efforts toward quantitative development over the last four decades, we are now on the verge of a real advanced nation through qualitative growth. Now, it is the time for the national territory to find a new role for the 2nd national development into an advanced economy and improvement of life quality, not just remaining satisfied with such achievements as20,000 dollar income per capita. The necessity for creation of new values of national territory and reorganization of management of national territory has been raised to respond to forthcoming ecology, culture, feminism and peace eras.
So far, the territory has only pursued economic, effective and functional values to back up rapid economic growth. What kind of values will the national territory then have to retain to become an appropriate vessel for an advanced nation? The critical matter is achieving stable growth while solving the most urgent issues, such as income gaps among local areas and polarization and responding to drastic changes of surrounding conditions. This is because future innovative economic capacities and life
quality lie in our choices and performances amid drastically changing process of international environment and Korean politics, economy, and society for the next 10-20 years.
Under this backdrop, this study examines National Territorial Values that must be created to be prepared for the Green Growth era that Korea is currently pursuing and focusing on presentation of management strategies to achieve the new values. This resulted from the judgment that a conflict of values between national development and conservation is the biggest issue witnessed in the process of growth-driven national development. And this study mainly examines the creation of new values of territory and management strategies in terms of territory and environment.
Changes in values of national territory explained above are the background of the creation of new values and desirable directions to achieve the new values. Comfortable conditions rather than functional convenience, creation of diverse culture rather than uniformed development, beauty rather than convenience, and ecological efficiency and reflection of local sentiment rather than extension of facilities are desired to create spaces in national territory. ‘Green Growth’ is a term to express the changed direction of management for national territory. Green Growth is a new aim for national territory and it denies previous ‘grey growth’ focusing on quantitative growth.
Green Growth in this study is an opposite concept of grey growth which implicates development-oriented notions and quantitative growth of the past. Grey growth refers to economic growth in which efficiency based on unlimited consumption of basic energies, such as water and air and industry-devouring fossil fuels, were favored with development methods in which the environment was insufficiently considered.
Meanwhile, Green Growth pursues economic development which involves a search of renewable energies such as solar and wind power, the realization of a low-carbon society, promotion of sustainable development considering the environment and culture, and ecological health rather than efficiency. But the important thing is that
Green Growth cannot be obtained by inputting eco-friendly elements such as green industry or technology. The key to Green Growth is our perception and attitude (in daily life). To achieve the 2nd leap through Green Growth, we must promote the development of clean energy sources by utilizing green industry and technologies, create a low-carbon society, and utilize the construction of substances-circulating cities while keeping in our mind what kind of perception and attitude contribute to Green Growth.
Considering changes in future values, new national territories should pursue qualitative growth, not quantitative growth, environmental health not economic efficiency, conservation-oriented not development-oriented and psychological affluence, not materialistic affluence. These changes will act as the driving force for Green Growth. As the concept of Green Growth does not necessarily deny national territory policies of the past, new values do not entirely exclude past values. It means the essence of National Territory Values should be appropriately adjusted for new values (See Figure 1).
These changes in values are related to the future as we move toward. Considering changes in paradigm, future trends, and direction of new values, three factors should be retained for future national territory: National prosperity through economic development, security of life quality for a beautiful, comfortable, and safe life, and a sustained, healthy national ecosystem for the coexistence of humans and nature.
This study suggests ecology, culture, efficiency, high technology, and creativity as new values for a better tomorrow after the consideration on aspects mentioned so far.
By pursuing these five values, the potentials and competitiveness of national territory can be raised in terms of use and management of national territory to achieve development and conservation.
Figure 1. Directional conversion of national values
Tasks that should be promoted in order to create new values of national territory can be examined in diverse directions. This study presents strategies focusing on tasks from a view of Green Growth. Tasks for the Green Growth era and the five new values presented above are examined in three directions as follows:
ⅰ) Tasks that will be examined in the process to establish management strategies of national territory involve obstacles to creating values and national territory should cope with. They include issues raised in the promotion process of conditions and policies and policies that should be tackled to achieve a desirable national territory in the future. In this study, 4 tasks are presented: slowdown in population growth and aging population, depletion of energies, environmental damage to national territory, and climate change.
ⅱ) Tasks to achieve national territory we are looking forward to in the future in consideration of a changed paradigm and future trends. These tasks require a change of direction and to uplift competitiveness, though they are not significant issues now.
They can be discussed from many points of view, but in this study, 2 tasks are presented: security of growth force through recreation of local values involving local cultures and creation of future-oriented spaces through convergence of high
technologies and information.
ⅲ) Tasks that should be performed by humans, a component of national territory and subject of use and management of national territory, in order to realize a future society and create new values. These tasks are about our perception on national territory and about what kind of territory we should pursue. Three tasks are presented in this study: management of national territory based on culture and environment, management of national territory giving priority to public health and safety, and change of our perception for a harmonized life with nature.
Ecology
New values Strategic tasks for management Strengthening capacities of national territory against changes in social conditions in Aging Society Aging Security of renewable energies and creation of spaces against energy depletion
,Rural beautification
Completion of national territory adaptation program against climate changes
Security of growth force through recreation of local values including local cultures
Management strategies for creation of social trust
Change of management system through integration of development and
Figure 2. Relationship of new values and strategic tasks for management
Management strategies to raise values for the Green Growth era are suggested focusing on 9 tasks above. The former 6 tasks are strategic tasks for the creation of new values and Green Growth, and the remaining 3 tasks are policies that will
embrace the 6 strategic tasks and direction of plans. Lastly, the necessity for changes in spatial planning system to embrace the 9 tasks was raised.
National territory planning should be established with experts in various fields such as society, philosophy, art, literature, physics, and IT through public participation at the level of philosophical discussion. Since national territory is the foundation of life and existence similar to that of a living creature vis-à-vis politics, economy, society, culture, and history, plans to suggest national territory programs for the future by deciding a certain point are not flexible. Therefore, national territory plans should be established, keeping in mind the projected figures 30, 50, or 100 years in mind. The plans should carry anthropological-sociological and anthropological-ecological viewpoints on philosophical thoughts and reason, with public inquiries. The plans will be more flexible than the current plans wherein the physical viewpoints are emphasized. Of course, since philosophical discussions on future plans deal with a time frame of 100 years from now, the plans should be corrected from time to time.
Through this, value-sharing on the future national territory in our society and national demand can be expressed, and action to improve inferior plans shall be taken.
Plans that present philosophical thoughts about desirable future figures can flexibly respond to national territory policies that should reflect social demands from time to time. These are the foundation of the promoting policies. National territory plans retaining philosophy can be flexible for policy changes.
Considering this, planning by scenarios for future national territory should be examined. Possible changes in the future are described in 3-4 scenarios and according the scenarios, future figures of national territory can be planned. Scenarios and future figures should be corrected every 5-10 years and plans should be complemented. As contents contained in the 9 National Territory Management strategies presented above are expected to variously change in the future, national planning can be established according to scenarios and for local planning, flexible strategies and program planning
can be established according to features of the local area.
Green Growth cannot be achieved through the promotion of a field, such as industry or technologies. Green Growth involves creating new national territory and discarding fossil fuel-driven growth; it should be promoted by all fields such as housing, transportation, cities, industry, infrastructure, and environment. The keynote of spatial planning such as national territory planning, environment planning, and other planning should be Green Growth, and they should complement each other based on the connection between them.
Impetus should be provided for Green Growth through convergence of technologies.
To introduce Green Growth, such as security of clean energy sources, green structures, low-carbon industrial complexes and energy-saving through substance circulation, high technologies should be utilized. Therefore, Green Growth can be powered when experts in technologies and in planning and officials in charge of related policies work together.
Green Growth cannot be achieved by efforts of related persons alone. As mentioned above, the effects of Green Growth will double when the entire nation participates.
The foundation of Green Growth is the coexistence of nature and humans and integration of development and nature, and this in turn changes our perception. Green Growth generates a new growth force and creates stepping stones to the 2nd leap.
When paradigm shift, like creation of new values of national territory is premised, local potentials including local cultures can change into growth force for Green Growth. Green Growth should not be limited to creation of new growth force, and it should grow to renovation of national territory and national consciousness by promoting as public movement. National movement can be the biggest growth force for Green Growth.
Green Growth and the creation of new values allows our descendents to inherit a better national territory. There are Ten management strategic tasks for 5 new values
we should pursue to achieve better national territory were presented above. National policies and plans for creation of new values should be promoted under the「3S system」(SLOW, SMALL, SOFT).
First, the development of future national territory should be ‘slow’. Slow here is not about speed but about direction and quality. "Slow brands" have recently gained attention. Living slowly implicates enjoying life. For instance, the goal of ‘speedy’
mountain hiking is the reduction of time and the hiker must be just satisfied with sweat, but ‘slow’ hiking allows the hiker to think and to enjoy views. A good example of slow development in terms of national territory is riding bicycles. Bicycles are a good way to reduce GHG emission, and they can be a means to help find new way of life and enjoy life changing our life pattern. In other words, "slow development"
is the first step toward change of our behaviors to leave quantitative growth and development-first idea while having more room for rest in life.
Secondly, future national territory should have regard for ‘small’ growth. "Small National Territory Management" is to escape from maximization of consumption and quantitative growth and development. To achieve this, changes in consumption-oriented way of life are required. The concept of the book "Small is Beautiful" by E.F Schemacher is about taking consideration about nature, eco-friendly technologies, energy-saving techniques, and warning against blind trust on science and technologies, which is similar to Green Growth. True development starts from reflection on general issues that have been raised so far in the modern society. That is, Green Grow this not performed by new energies, new technologies, and new industries alone. Even our perception should be ‘green.’ According to Buddhism, having a little is more beautiful than having a lot, and emptying is the real basis of true development rather than filling up.
Thirdly, future National Territory Management should retain ‘soft’ impetus.
Straightforward and standardized development, inflexible organization, and stereotyped
development methods should be deterred. Development that can accelerate local features and consider characteristics of resources should be carried out. Future-oriented directions and frames can be shared for spatial planning, but the plan should be promoted with the participation of residents. To this end, plans should be connected with each other and flexible. For example, we do not have to decide uses of land at one time when making plans, we should use land as much as we need now and the rest should decided by our next generations.
‘Slow, small, and soft’ are keys to creation of future National Territory Values and Green Growth. Creation of new National Territory Values for the Green Growth Era does not mean the creation of totally new values, but to newly pay our attention to values we have overlooked or disregarded so far to make them ours. To do that, we must broaden our mental vision to see our precious national territory. And new values cannot be achieved by temporary efforts. Efforts must be fully scrutinized about how and what we will do to create new values and we can introduce the Green Growth Era when we take proper actions.
The main role in creating new National Territory Values is us, humans, and the background is national territory. It is important to enjoy better life through new National Territory Values if we change ourselves and pass good results on to our sons and daughters. Green Growth is a core strategy to foster competitiveness of national territory. New civilization and culture will be created through the creation of new values, and true Green Growth and values of national brands can be raised.