Pedestrians check a media pole installed at Gangnamdaero, one of the Design Seoul Streets. The Design Seoul Street project aims to make streets more people-friendly.
/ Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
Seoul City is accelerating its move to redesign more districts in the capital.
Boosted by a positive reaction from residents, it said Monday it will spend nearly 50 billion won ($40 million) to redesign 20 more by October 2010 on top of the already designated 30.
Its ``Design Seoul Street'' project is part of the process of making Seoul's streets more ``people-friendly.'' By improving the pedestrian and street environment and applying universal designs to street furniture, the city aims to make the street a place where life and local culture coexist.
Kim Bo-mi, a 20-year-old university student, went out on a picnic with her friends to the Children's Grand Park Saturday. ``I enjoyed the park but I liked the street too,'' she said. ``It was so neat that I liked just walking around it.''
Neungdong-ro, in front of the park, reopened in February after being reformed as a ``Design Seoul Street.'' The fence of the park and a nearby university were pulled down to create additional park areas on sidewalks. Paved evenly with granite, pedestrian paths were widened and dividers were lowered for the disabled and mothers wheeling baby carriages.
The city also replaced shop signs to improve the overall landscape. As a result, the street became a place of rest for residents, shop owners and university students.
Another Design Seoul Street stretches from Gangnam Station on subway line no. 2 to Kyobo Tower.
Women like the street because their high heels don't get stuck in the cracks. ``It is not such a big deal, but an annoying problem for women,'' said Ji Yoo-na, 27, who works in Gangnam. ``Though it was inconvenient during the construction, I am happy that the street turned out to be much better than before.''
Eleven-meter-high interactive media poles also attract the eyes of citizens. The upper sections of the poles work as streetlights and show visual art on screens. At the bottom, multimedia kiosks provide news, a search service and other information regarding the street. The most popular feature is a photo-taking service ― pedestrians can take pictures with built-in cameras and then e-mail them.
Currently, five streets have been completed ― Gangnamdaero, Cheonhodaero in eastern Seoul, Arario in Seongbuk District, Namdaemun-ro and Neungdong-ro. These are among the first 10 areas designated in 2007. New Design Seoul Streets will be spread out across the city, including Itaewon-ro, Daehak-ro and Gwanak-ro.
meeyoo@koreatimes.co.kr
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