Cheonggyecheon River - Renovation project in Seoul, Korea

Cheonggyecheon River - Renovation project in Seoul, Korea

Cheonggyecheon River is located in the central area of Seoul. There are many external public areas near the site such as Gwanghwamun Square and Gyeongbokgung. All these buildings represent the culture and History of Korea. Originally, the area was a freeway in a CBD area, the river was polluted and the area often suffers from flooding issues (Mayer 2012). In 2000, the freeway and road around the area need to be repaired due to structure issues. Due to a large amount of maintenance fee, the Korean Government has decided to turn the freeway into an environmental innovative project. The reconstruction at 2003 and finished in 2005.

 Fig 1. Night view of Cheonggyecheon

This area has turned into an excavated site with a river that runs toward the Han River.  The excavated form of the river separate the site from the busy traffic and provide a biodiversity (Wang 2014) environment for the surrounding buildings. The excavated form separate this new area from the busy commercial areas, provide a space for tourism and local citizen to gather. Another feature is the introduction of the river, despite the fact that some of the water is pumped from the Han River rather than recycled water (Wang 2014). However, it achieves the goals of building an urban park (Bissel 2014) within the CBD for Seoul. It reduces the urban heat, increases the biodiversity and reduces the air pollution of the CBD area. (Landscape Architecture Foundation 2011). Furthermore, it contains cultural features such as paintings on the wall, pond, wall of culture, wall of history and wall of hope.

There are many pedestrian and vehicle bridges that run across the site which resolves the problem of traffic and pedestrian access to the CBD.

Fig 2. Original freeway along Cheonggyecheon

I think that the renovation project of Cheonggyecheon provides a great example for the possibility of developing a sustainable city. It has provided a breakout space within a dense and urbanized CBD area which allows possible social interaction in the CBD areas. It also provides environmental benefits such as reduce urban heats and air pollution in a CBD areas. Furthermore, another important factor that can be learned from this case study is spotting the opportunities to renovate or develop a better city and react to it. Overall, I think this project has improved the social and environmental quality of the area and would be a good case study for future development in a sustainable city.

Bissel, B. (2014, January 22). Not all Green Spaces are Created Equal: A Look at the Successes of Cheonggyecheon, South Korea | The Urbanist Dispatch. Retrieved April 3, 2016, from http://www.urbanistdispatch.com/1948/not-all-green-spaces-are-created-equal-a-look-at-the-successes-of-cheonggyecheon-south-korea/

Landscape Architecture Foundation. (2011, January). Cheonggyecheon Stream Restoration Project. Retrieved April 3, 2016, from http://landscapeperformance.org/case-study-briefs/cheonggyecheon-stream-restoration#/overview

 Mayer, N. (2012, July 4). The Cheonggyecheon River Restoration Project, Seoul, South Korea. Retrieved April 4, 2016, from https://sustainabilitywriter.wordpress.com/2012/07/04/the-cheonggyecheon-river-restoration-project-seoul-south-korea/

Wang, L. (2014, November 18). How the Cheonggyecheon River Urban Design Restored the Green Heart of Seoul. Retrieved April 3, 2016, from http://inhabitat.com/how-the-cheonggyecheon-river-urban-design-restored-the-green-heart-of-seoul/

Fig 1  http://www.thousandwonders.net/Cheonggyecheon

Fig 2  http://www.gardenvisit.com/blog/cheonggyecheon-river-reclamation-and-landscape-architecture-in-seoul-korea/