As climate crisis becomes a fact of daily life, Mapo-gu is relaunching its signature green policy — the "5 million trees" initiative — under the ninth elected term, accelerating its response to climate change.
With urban environmental problems such as heat waves, the urban heat island effect and fine dust growing more severe, expanding green space has emerged as an essential rather than optional priority. Mapo-gu Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun is reviving the large-scale tree-planting project he first pursued during the seventh elected term as a core environmental policy of the ninth term, with the goal of creating what the district calls "neighborhood healing forests."
Green space is the most effective natural infrastructure for moderating urban climate. Studies indicate that every additional square kilometer of green space can lower surface temperatures by up to 0.25 degrees Celsius, making it a powerful tool against heat waves and the urban heat island effect.
About 2.28 million trees planted in seventh term, improving urban environment
Mapo-gu launched a "1 million trees clean-air forest" project in 2018, ahead of the government's 2050 carbon neutrality declaration. The following year, it became the first autonomous district in Seoul to announce a full-scale "5 million trees" project, significantly expanding its ambitions.
At the time, some questioned whether Mapo had enough space to plant 5 million trees, but the district pressed ahead with a strategy of making active use of every available space.
Through four strategies — community tree planting, expansion of roadside greenery, expansion of residential green space and private-sector-led tree planting — the district planted about 2.28 million trees over the seventh elected term, achieving 46 percent of its original target.
The environmental impact was significant. Analysis showed the effort reduced annual fine dust by about 81 tons — equivalent to taking roughly 48,000 aging diesel vehicles off the road.
The results earned Mapo-gu the grand prize at the 2021 Korea Healthy Cities Awards, recognition of the policy's effectiveness.
Neighborhood healing forests to bring green space closer to residents
The ninth term's renewed "5 million trees" campaign focuses not only on climate action but also on improving residents' quality of life.
The district plans to expand neighborhood healing forests by making active use of parks, village squares, rest areas, public open spaces, idle land and leftover plots, giving residents easy access to rest and respite close to home.
To that end, the district will pursue greening of idle and underused spaces; improvements to the pedestrian environment through planting shade trees and supplementing existing street trees; expansion of resident participation through a one-household-one-tree campaign and a neighborhood gardener program; and expansion of parks by leveraging land donated through reconstruction and redevelopment projects.
In June, the district planted a pin oak — a species known for its wide, spreading canopy — at the Sinchon Rotary traffic island (31-123 Nogosan-dong), designating it the first shade tree of the renewed campaign.
"The pin oak provides broad shade that improves the pedestrian environment and, unlike artificial shade structures, blends naturally with the surrounding landscape," a district official said.
"Planting trees is ultimately planting the future," Mayor Yoo said. "We will work with corporate social responsibility programs to reduce the fiscal burden while steadily expanding the residential green space that residents can feel in their daily lives, and we will see the renewed 5 million trees campaign through to success."
On Thursday, the district appointed Shin Nam-jae, a director-designate, as acting head of the Environment and Green Space Bureau, which oversees the 5 million trees campaign.
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