The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Tuesday it will strengthen field-centered support for urban regeneration projects to revitalize cities declining due to aging residential environments and other factors.

As part of that effort, the ministry will begin hosting regional field forums with urban regeneration support centers and local governments nationwide starting Wednesday. The forums, held across seven regions, will also include urban regeneration-related agencies such as the Korea Housing and Urban Guarantee Corporation (HUG) and the Architecture and Urban Research Institute (AURI).

The first session covers Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, followed by Daejeon, Sejong and the Chungcheong provinces on Aug. 19; Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province on Aug. 26; South Jeolla Province and Gwangju on Sept. 3; North Jeolla Province on Sept. 15; Gangwon Province on Sept. 22; and Busan, Ulsan, South Gyeongsang Province and Jeju on Sept. 29.

At the Greater Seoul forum, urban regeneration support centers in Incheon and Suwon will each present best-practice case studies, followed by discussions on ways to advance the centers' development.

The ministry said that as urban regeneration projects accumulate and the number of completed sites grows, the centers' roles in ensuring sustainable local regeneration — including identifying new projects, linking with other government agencies' initiatives, and managing key facilities and post-completion follow-up — are becoming increasingly important. Through the regional forums, the ministry plans to explore appropriate roles and operational direction for the centers in a changing policy environment and gather diverse input from the field.

Jeong Eui-gyeong, director general of the ministry's Land and Urban Affairs Bureau, said urban regeneration is not complete simply by building facilities, but requires creating a foundation for local residents and communities to drive change themselves. "Urban regeneration support centers are a vital link connecting government, residents and the field," Jeong said. "Through these forums, we will listen to voices from the ground and develop practical measures to help the centers lead urban regeneration in their communities."


smh@heraldcorp.com