The Sustainable Future-Oriented Urban Development in Korea
Taesoo Song - Hojoon Cheon(Kyungwon Univ - Korea Land Corp)

I. Introduction
5 new towns (Bundang, Ilsan, Pyungchon, Sanbon, and Joongdong) which weredeveloped in a large-scale land development project in the 1980's in Korea, arerecognized as being more comfortable than other old towns because they weredeveloped using new urban design techniques that were initiated at that time.
However, it has been indicated that these design techniques have been limited
by a very plain design similar to standardized housing development plans andcheckerboard-shaped roadways to satisfy the housing supply.
A "city" is defined as not only as a living space composed of dwelling places
for humans, but also as a representation of the values and technology
developed through the human development process. Therefore, the cities thathumans are living together has constantly been changed and developed by life
style changes of the people. Cities have been varied by such things as family
formation changes, economic changes due to income variation, andtechnological changes. Future cities will continue to develop in accordance withthese changes in life styles.
The progress in the development of new towns until now has been deeply
influenced by political decisions that only emphasized housing supply matters,
and did not consider the sustainability of the symbiotic relationship between
nature and humans. Based on this, the enforcement of housing site development
neglecting the fact that humans are part of nature brought environmental
disruption, and as a result, the settlement circumstances of humans has
continually been getting worse.
Thus, various kinds of urban development method are required in the future. In
future society, it is anticipated of some social changes such as increase of theaged population and single-person-families, intensification of nuclear families,and telecommuting. Many kinds of urban development method are needed tofulfil those diverse demands. At this point, freeing from the traditional ways andinvestigating diverse kinds of future-oriented urban development towards
intellectual city built in up-to-date information infrastructure, resource-savingcity utilizing new recycled energy, environment friendly eco-city, making urban
culture that every citizen can join is necessary.

II. Controversal issues on previous new town development process
1. Sprawl around new town

Development of the metropolitan area assumed in two forms after
development of new town. First form is private housing construction companies
to develop housing sites in small scale and build apartments in semi-agriculturalarea. Development of housing site and housing constructions insemi-agricultural area are regulated by the administration law of national land
utilization. The upper limits of characteristic alteration and a forbidden clause ofapartment house construction over certain number are applicable to this, whichreflects easygoing expectations in the way of thought that with such small scale
development, residents wouldn't feel inconvenience when using existing
infrastructure facilities.
However, private housing construction companies tried to build houses as
many as possible in amendment of semi-agricultural area to semi-urban area.
As an early stage, 150% of floor space index and 15 floors in a building werethe rule, but if it is approved to have no effect on neighboring view, 250% offloor space index and 20 floors in a building construction were allowed insemi-urban area.
<Table1>Alteration of Land Use for Apartment Construction (semi-agricultural→semi-urbanarea)
sections

total

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

number of cases

523

1471

118

136

83

101

area

16.4

0.6

1.7

2.8

4.3

2.9

4.1

number of households

315,991

9,921

39,971 62,516 86,667 52,853 64,063

Second form of housing site development in the metropolitan area in 1990s is
public development project in small and medium sizes. Since new town
development in large scale staggered, in the name of 'mini new town', large
number of minor housing site development projects within two hundred
thousand pyeong(3.3m2) has been propelled, and was constructed intentionallyequipped with public facilities as nearby roads, water supply and drainage,
schools, and parks compared to private housing site development projects ofsemi-agricultural area, but couldn't even conceive building of broad-basedtransportation system.

2. Lack of self-sufficiency in new town
As a matter of progress schedule of 5 new towns in the metropolitan area
residents suffered inconvenience, because infrastructure supply and formationof business area were not accomplished by the proper time for housing
construction and residents move-in. There may be some reasons, however,lack of operating body in charge of the whole process of new towns
development and systematic provisions would be the important cause.
The lack of self-sufficiency in new towns is intrinsically inevitable problem inthe metropolitan area. Despite, the hard work is required by increasing
employment opportunities to enhance the self-sufficiency and lessen trafficdemand. That is to say, the main purpose of new towns development is tostabilize the housing price by increasing the supply of housing, so they werebed-town suburbanized when they were not ready to maintain urban function
except dwelling function. Hence, introduction of effective measures fordevelopment models is needed to ensure the self-sufficiency in new town
development.

3. Absence of resident participation in new town development projects
Issues with top-down undemocratic ways, in absence of adequate preliminary
exploration and collecting opinions from pertinent local governments andresidents, are one of the problems in new town development process.
Systematic basis of resident participation in Korea barely reaches theperfunctory level. The present system only lets people to communicate theiropinions through public hearing, public announcement, civil petition and surveys
either directly or indirectly. These are problems in the present system ofresident participation policy.
First, there are high possibilities which public hearings can be run partially bytrained specialists who express their views in the meetings. Because written
opinions in public hearing are hard to be announced thoroughly, difficulty ofstatement is also a problem.
Second, presenting written opinions and public announcement matters arealso problems. Only some people with special attention have access to thespecific contents, and the general public can not get enough information.
Authority to present written opinions is limited to only people concerned suchas landowners of the reserved area for development, so opportunity ofparticipation is cut off from the general public. Also, the notification of public
hearing and announcement is posted where people can't easily recognize andmeet.
Third, local district level development projects can be categorized in twoways, residents' opinion hearing way and residents' proposal way. As residents'opinion hearing way, participation of the residents is so insignificant that public
institutions could propel the projects arbitrarily, henceforth, the possibility offriction between public institutions and residents remains. On the other hand, inresidents' proposal way, there are worries of misuse in local district level
development projects that certain residents or businessmen could monopolize
the speculative development profit.

III. Exploration of future-oriented urban development ways
1. Efficient management around new towns
Although the government tries to prevent development thoughtless for theenvironment around new towns' area, however it seems hard to use lands
efficiently without finding proper plans. Because the land utilization patterns
tend to spread through the outskirts of a city continuously, the size of cities
becomes larger. There are fundamental solutions for development thoughtless
for the environment and public sector's duty, management plans for rational
land utilization as below.
First, all the land development acts should be done only with the former
plan-latter development system which can not begin construction without plan.
Land management systems must be set up which only those lands with official
development plans are allowed to start construction by the plans. To make land
utilization under governmental plan's control, development systems must be
established after the plans and prevent the development thoughtless for theenvironment and deterioration of the quality of life. To prevent inefficient land
use and development thoughtless for the environment around cities, urban andsuburban are to make one planned region and present land utilization systems
and various spatial design systems should be consolidated, so plans anddevelopment could be closely connected.
Second, securing the required lots in advance to stay in equilibrium of landdemand and supply would contribute for stability of land prices and comfortableliving environment. The increase of land supply is not only about expanding thesupply but developing lands for planning, simplifying related process andexpanding the urban infrastructure that its purpose is to make better quality ofcities' surroundings. Thereby, various zoning systems which restrict the land
use should be simplified and details of restriction be opened to lead new
development smoothly. Also, the subject of basic facilities supply and limits ofresponsibility should be set up, and various supports such as a tax and financial
favor should be improved to lead the land supply in proper time.
Third, the metropolitan plan that can manage sprawl around the metropolitan
area should be also established. Moreover, active complementary measures
should be set up when dealing with the problems such as appropriateness of thesize of projects and problems in installing the basic infrastructure. The land use
without basic facilities causes development thoughtless for the environment soit brings about not only inconvenience to the residents but also interference tothe effective industry activities. For the development of appropriate quantity ofland in urban use at proper time and also to expand the basic infrastructure,
integrated and concrete land use plans should be set up and managed the land
use efficiently.

2. Introduction of the sustainable urban development plan1) Energy-saving type urban development
Commonly, two ways are used in understanding the land use patterns ofefficient energy saving cities. First way is to study the alternative plans ofspatial structure and then recognize the characteristics of the cities with lessenergy usage. Second way is to set up the rules of energy saving ways, then to
design the appropriate spatial structures. However, these two ways should be
used together when considering the view of energy using pattern in the urban
planning process.
Generally cities have two kinds of the flow of energy. The first flow is naturalenergy by solar radiation heat that is changeable by people, and the second
flow is artificial which includes fuels or recycled energy sources that made bypeople. Rapid urbanization in Korea brings sudden increase in energy
consumption because population and industries are concentrated in cities. So
finding the practical utilization and management plans such as using the solar
energy is an urgent matter due to the fast increase in the energy demand.

2) Environment friendly urban development
Nowadays, indiscreet developments are out of carrying capacity of the nature.
Accordingly, drawing these indiscreet developments back into the carrying
capacity is the most important and imminent matter. This is so called theeco-friendly development, which means this kind of development secures thehuman's sustainable living because the developments are done in the acceptablecapacities. Still, former researches about eco-friendly developments haveinsufficiency to fit in the frame of urban development that hascomprehensiveness. Despite these limitations, the direction of urban
development in the future should get along with the following eco-friendly
design ways based on the results of research to satisfy the essential conditionsof environment friendly cities.

3. Introduction of urban development in residents' participation
City construction in residents' participation is available in the mature civilizedsociety which can cover a very wide range such as a traffic improvement inlocal area, creation of the great views, formation of communities, revitalizationof the local economy, and creation of the local culture. Especially in these parts,social agreement is almost impossible without the basis of love for the local
communities and binding awareness. Residents' participation in the city
construction process is a way to realize an image of the future cities without
letting the government to do it all. Voluntary participation of the residents isessential, of course, however, these are plans to increase more participation.
First, present systems need to be improved and supplemented. In successful
residents' participation examples, existing methods were improved incorrespondence and access. In case of public hearings and announcements,
these must be easy enough for residents to access easily, and combined withdifferent methods to have synergy effect.
Second, the wide range of approach to participation should be secured that

concerns public good issues. When the resident participation is restricted tocertain factors, common benefit issues or public good are hard to be included
such as ways to make 'the city I want to live in'. That is why collecting thepublic subscription for the urban design in the planning stage and increasing theoperation of the residents monitoring in the enforcement stage to secure theways for participation. Also, it is necessary to intensify the representation ofresidents through all the processes of urban development in very early stage,for example, support for education of the local activists and encourage forming
the resident organizations.

IV. Conclusion
Many cities in Korea were developed in purpose of the spatial efficiency andhousing mass production, so their development ways depend on the logic ofeconomic maximization. Nowadays, cities turn into megalopolis focused onfunctional structures leaving apart from human environment. However, many
people crave for humane cities that pursue the high quality of life with theincrease of people's income. Cities with competition for the future areubiquitous cities that has high-tech information and communication technology,energy saving cities that use new recycled energy sources, and environmental
friendly cities, and various and versatile conditions are required such as
moderation between old and new or nature and artifacts. New town
developments until now have positive side that can provide the housingssteadily, but on the other hand, have negative side that causes arguments withresidents, environmental problems and so on, because they were driven forward
hastily. To overcome these problems, the goal is to set up for the planned urbandevelopment and coherent efforts for the various kinds of urban development
required in the future cities as sustainable city construction, U-cityconstruction, development of the compact city with high density, active
participation of the residents in the new town development.