In the wake of industrialization and urbanization, cities, which have undergone the degeneration of their physical environment, have incurred a variety of urban issues such as loss of urban identity and lowered quality of living environment. With a vi...
In the wake of industrialization and urbanization, cities, which have undergone the degeneration of their physical environment, have incurred a variety of urban issues such as loss of urban identity and lowered quality of living environment. With a view to addressing these issues and instilling vitality in the degenerated areas, urban regeneration is being implemented in various ways. All cities keep historical facts about their existence, and various efforts are being made to boost the economic competitiveness of those cities through using their historical and cultural resources and with plans for urban regeneration that reflect the regional identity. Characterized by globalization and localization, the current era has regional competitiveness serve as an important factor that decides national competitiveness.
Ganghwa-eup, the subject of this study, was a key player in the growth of textile industry in the 1970s and 1980s and was thus socially and economically vibrant. Due to the changes to the industrial structure and the relocation of major core facilities, the region is currently undergoing degeneration with the ageing physical environment of downtown life and commercial facilities. Hence the urgency of urban regeneration that could overcome the region’s degeneration and revitalize the whole town. And a plan for urban regeneration that taps into the ample presence of historical and cultural resources in the region is drawing attention as a relevant breakthrough. Inasmuch as the region is touted as ‘A roofless museum’, Ganghwa-eup owns diverse-ranging historical and cultural resources stretching from the old site of a Goryeo period palace to Ganghwa Cathedral of the Anglican Church and Yongheung-gung (‘palace’). Recently, Ganghwa-gun (‘county’) announced a plan to bring new light on the potential and the historical and cultural value of its old city center and implement a strategic urban regeneration project by combining history, culture, tourism, and ecology in the region. The county disclosed its aspiration for vaulting to a small town with class sitting close to Seoul metropolitan region. Considering this trend, I believe there exists the need to analyze the urban degeneration in Ganghwa-eup and draw up a plan for urban regeneration that exploits the rich historical and cultural resources in the region.
The purpose of this study is to come up with a plan that can be reflected in future urban regeneration and development plans and policies by developing urban regeneration planning index that taps into historical and cultural resources as what may be applied to Ganghwa-eup and analyzing the significance of the planning index. To fulfill the purpose of this study, I have performed a comprehensive analysis targeting the local populace that can be used as basic data for analyzing the significance of the planning index and future urban regeneration projects, by studying the phenomenon of Ganghwa-eup and coming up with an urban regeneration planning index that taps into the historical and cultural resources. The urban regeneration planning index, which taps into the selected historical and cultural resources, is composed of four categories of industry & economy, society & culture, physical environment, and public administration with 11 superior indices and 27 specific indices.
With local residents, I have surveyed and analyzed their understanding of the project, their intention to participate, and the expectation effect with regard to the project. The analysis has found an average kind of perception of the project, a low-level intention to participate, and a high level of expectation effect of the project. The analysis of the significance of the urban regeneration planning index that taps into historical and cultural resources has found the top level in the category of physical environment, which is followed by the category of public administration, the category of industry & economy, and the category of society & culture. The analysis has found the category of physical environment with the highest level of significance. This suggests that characteristically of the region that needs urban regeneration, even historical and cultural urban regeneration should ensure a balance between a systematic maintenance and planned development, which secures the qualitative improvement of space and the convenience in living space through improving the backward urban infrastructure and accommodation of permanent settlement, creating cultural infrastructure and environment, and enhancing street and transportation system. Also, the remaining three categories register a high level of significance. This indicates that since the improvement and refurbishment of physical environment alone cannot complete a sustainable and comprehensive revitalization of the region, an urban regeneration strategy should be established in the way of treating the full gamut of elements in regional industry and economy, society and culture, and administrative planning.
Currently, people in Ganghwa-eup show a lower-than-average level of understanding and intention to participate with regard to the regeneration project that taps into the historical and cultural resources. It means that an effective implementation of the project presupposes the effort for raising awareness, which would create a strong consensus for the project and enhance an understanding of its need. A feasible strategy to be created will have to reflect the results of the study in the urban regeneration plan for Ganghwa-eup while considering the priority of the planning index.