Seo-gu, Busanjin-gu selected for vacant-home infrastructure project; Seo-gu also chosen for new arts-focused redevelopment program

Current state of the Buam-dong area (left) and a rendering of the planned urban garden project [Busan city government]
Current state of the Buam-dong area (left) and a rendering of the planned urban garden project [Busan city government]

Busan city government announced Friday it has selected Seo-gu and Busanjin-gu as sites for this year's vacant-home acquisition and lifestyle social overhead capital (SOC) development project, while also designating Seo-gu for a newly launched program aimed at converting vacant homes into cultural and arts spaces.

Three districts applied for the vacant-home acquisition and lifestyle SOC project, with final selections made after evaluation by a public-private consultative body of vacant-home specialists. The total project cost is 1.4 billion won ($906,000), with the city covering 70 percent and the district covering the remaining 30 percent. The newly established program, which will redevelop vacant homes into creative spaces for artists, will draw on 200 million won from a local population-decline response fund.

The two sites chosen under the vacant-home acquisition and lifestyle SOC project are Seo-gu's Haedoji-ro Arts Road and Busanjin-gu's vacant-home garden project. Three long-neglected homes on a steep hillside road in Nambumin-dong will be renovated into artist studios and exhibition spaces overlooking Namhang harbor. Five homes left vacant for years along the school commute route near Buam Elementary School will be transformed into a smart farm and community garden, offering children an ecological experience in the city and providing residents with green space and a place to rest.

The new arts-focused program, developed in partnership with the Busan Cultural Foundation, aims to create a community-oriented cultural environment where artists and local residents can interact. Three vacant homes adjacent to Cheonmasan-ro — a road with views of the sea in front of Namhang harbor — will be renovated into creative and exhibition spaces. The city plans to foster community engagement and revitalize the neighborhood through cooperative initiatives.

The projects are part of the city's broader policy to upgrade its approach to vacant homes, with an emphasis on concentrating efforts at the neighborhood level to maximize the impact of redevelopment.

"The growing problem of vacant homes is a serious challenge that affects the urban environment as a whole," said Bae Seong-taek, director of the city's Housing and Architecture Bureau. "We will use vacant homes to create a virtuous cycle that both stops population outflow and draws new residents in at the same time."


kaf2002@heraldcorp.com