Seoul creates village focusing on community activities

A support center building for “Doseodang,” a community housing project set to be completed soon, is seen in Jungnang District in Seoul. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

By Bahk Eun-ji

Construction of a “community housing village” in Seoul is nearing completion.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said recently the construction of the community housing village named “Doseodang” will be finished soon in Myeonmok-dong, Jungnang District, in eastern Seoul.

Community housing is a form of residence in which residents not only share community spaces but also seek common interests and solve common problems based on the community's own rules.

The city government has previously provided community housing multiple times in the form of a building where residents cooperate in childcare and caring for the elderly. But this is the first time for a designated neighborhood unit to be built, and it is being built on city-owned land.

The village will have seven buildings for 38 households with seven themes, including the humanities, design and cooking. Commercial and convenience facilities suitable for each building's theme, such as bookstores, restaurants and cafes, will be opened on the first floor of each building. There will also be community spaces for co-parenting, co-working and laundry.

The city is recruiting residents and eligible people such as artists, chefs, cultural heritage guides and other relevant content creators. Selected people will move in from the middle of January.

In addition, the city will create a support hub that will provide comprehensive support from counseling to education, to citizens interested in community housing as well as individuals or construction companies that want to operate one.

“This village in Myeongmok-dong is Seoul's first village-unit community housing jointly created by the city government, Jungnang District, Seoul Housing & Communities Corporation (SH) and private business operators,” said Kim Sung-bo, a director of the city government's architecture planning division.

“With the creation of the village, we expect that the neighborhood, which was recognized as a residential area with dense, old housing, will be reborn as a vibrant neighborhood.”