An early development blueprint of Seoul's Gangnam district. [Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Government]
An early development blueprint of Seoul's Gangnam district. [Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Government]

The Seoul Museum of History announced Saturday that it will hold a special exhibition titled "Seoul Urban Planning Grand Tour" through Nov. 8, marking the 60th anniversary of the "66 Seoul Urban Master Plan" — the city's first comprehensive long-term urban plan.

The exhibition traces how Seoul, then in the grip of rapid expansion, first mapped out a vision for its entire future in the 1960s and how that vision shaped the city as it stands today.

By 1966, Seoul's population and administrative boundaries were growing at a breakneck pace. The population more than doubled in just 11 years, rising from about 1.56 million in 1955 to roughly 3.79 million in 1966, while the city's administrative area expanded from 268 square kilometers to 613 square kilometers over the same period.

As housing shortages and traffic congestion worsened, the Seoul Metropolitan Government drew up the "66 Seoul Urban Master Plan" — a long-term blueprint covering residential development, industry, roads and parks — targeting a population of 5 million and an area of about 713 square kilometers by 1985. Seoul's population surpassed 5 million as early as 1970, a full 15 years ahead of projections.

Visitors can view classified documents and maps produced by the city's urban planning bureau and urban planning committee at the time, along with large-scale hand-drawn city planning blueprints.

Multi-sheet maps drawn at a 1:3,000 scale bear visible traces of roads and zoning boundaries added or corrected by hand.

Early survey maps and street-grid plans for Gangnam, along with blueprints for Han River development, bridge construction, radial and ring roads, and early subway concepts, are also on display. Together, they illustrate how Gangnam and Yeouido — then little more than rice paddies and fields — grew into new urban centers and how Seoul evolved into a multi-core city.

Another centerpiece of the exhibition is a recreation of the "Aug. 15 Urban Planning Exhibition," which ran for a month at Seoul City Hall Plaza beginning Aug. 15, 1966 — exactly 60 years before the current show opens.

At the time, residents flocked to the exhibition to find out whether roads would cut through their homes or land and which areas were slated for development; about 800,000 people attended.

The original "New Seoul Blank Plan" unveiled at that 1966 exhibition, along with large-scale models and aerial-perspective drawings, will also be on view. The exhibition will include a participatory space where visitors can write down the changes they want to see in their neighborhoods and share their thoughts on Seoul's future.

The final section reviews how Seoul's urban master plan has evolved since 1966 and addresses the urban challenges the city faces today — including environmental concerns, historic preservation, urban regeneration and the climate crisis — as well as future directions. A separate participatory space will allow visitors to leave their own ideas about what Seoul should look like going forward.

Academic events on urban planning will be held during the exhibition period. On Oct. 7, the museum will co-host a symposium with the Korea Planning Association under the theme "How Cities Are Made: The Story of Seoul Shaped by Planning."


ken@heraldcorp.com