60 pocket gardens and 13 green strips installed along 2.5-kilometer stretch to ease fine dust and urban heat
The road leading to the Han River's Mangwon entrance has been reborn as a lush garden filled with flowers and trees.
Mapo-gu completed a shaded garden walkway along a 2.5-kilometer stretch of World Cup Road and Yanghwa-ro on Friday.
The shaded garden walkway project was designed to expand green space in the urban core, reduce fine dust exposure in residents' daily lives, ease the summer heat island effect and create a more comfortable pedestrian environment.
The stretch runs through an area frequently used by residents heading to Han River Park. Although the sidewalks are wide enough for heavy foot traffic, the roots of zelkova street trees had been pushing up through the surface, lifting paving blocks and posing a safety hazard to pedestrians.
In response, the district used 320 million won ($236,000) in special adjustment grants from the Seoul Metropolitan Government to clear the tree roots and lay out the garden walkway.
Along the walkway, 60 pocket gardens were created in leftover spaces and 13 green strips were installed connecting roadside green zones. The pocket gardens cover a combined 141.5 square meters and the green strips 184 square meters. The district planted 1,414 trees and shrubs — including zelkova trees and hydrangeas — along with 4,605 flowering plants throughout the corridor.
Beneath the street trees, special edging frames with soil-retention, rainwater storage and moisture-management functions were installed to prevent the roots from pushing back up through the surface in the future.
The garden walkway project aligns with Mapo-gu's flagship greening initiative, a drive to plant about 5 million trees across the district.
The district plans to go beyond simple planting by implementing ongoing, systematic aftercare to improve the survival and establishment rate of trees and flowers and maximize the ecological function of the urban forest. It also intends to secure diverse funding sources to steadily expand urban green space within residential areas.
"Green spaces in the city are a vital ecological asset that protects residents' health from climate change and fine dust while offering emotional respite," Mapo-gu District Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun said. "Through thorough aftercare and budget securing, we will consistently expand the green spaces where residents can walk with peace of mind."
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