Cities seek to link existing commercial districts with cultural and tourism assets; Chuncheon fears provincial office relocation could hollow out its old center
Both Wonju and Chuncheon — the two largest cities in Gangwon Province — are pushing hard to breathe new life into their aging downtown cores.
Wonju held a downtown revitalization meeting Monday at City Hall, chaired by Deputy Mayor Kim Jeong-nam. The director of the economic affairs bureau, policy advisers and heads of departments involved in the revitalization task force attended, discussing ways to link department-level projects with the downtown area's physical spaces, commercial districts and cultural assets to inject vitality into the area.
Earlier, Chuncheon Mayor Yuk Dong-han pledged to pursue downtown revitalization at his 100-day mark in office. Concerns are also growing that the already-struggling downtown commercial district could collapse if the Gangwon Provincial Government relocates to Goeun-ri, on the southeastern outskirts of the city near the Chuncheon tollgate. Construction of the access road to the new provincial office building was halted for 42 days after artifacts were discovered at the site, but work has recently resumed.
Participants at the Wonju meeting discussed plans to connect existing commercial districts with cultural and tourism resources, drawing on a medium- to long-term vision for the downtown area as a whole, while exploring ways to attract younger residents and boost nighttime foot traffic.
Attendees also reviewed opportunities to coordinate projects across departments and exchanged views on combining physical improvements with cultural programming.
Particular attention was paid to making use of idle spaces within the downtown area. Officials examined converting them into venues for youth entrepreneurship, cultural and arts activities, and community amenities, and explored ways to link them with surrounding commercial districts to encourage residents and visitors to linger and spend.
"When the spaces, culture and commercial districts of the old downtown are connected to one another, it can become an attractive place where people want to come and stay," Deputy Mayor Kim said. "We need to pool our wisdom — through cooperation between departments and the participation of residents and merchants — to bring out the character of the downtown and add vitality to the local commercial scene."
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