"In Korea's old downtown regeneration areas, the factor to consider is creating "small green spaces" reachable within five minutes from home. As Korea enters an aging society, what has become important is not the aesthetics of landscaping but the frequency of everyday contact with greenery."
Kim Seung-gyum, professor at the Department of AI Futures at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), said, "Forty small parks can be more effective for citizens' lives than one large park." He explained that closely arranging small green spaces that are easily accessible within daily living areas is more effective for the urban environment and citizens' health. Kim is an expert in "climate change adaptation" and the author of the book "The Future of Cities," which vividly captures urban regeneration experiences in cities around the world.
As climate change and super-aging advance simultaneously, the meaning of urban regeneration is also changing. In the past, urban regeneration focused on refurbishing old buildings and improving the physical environment, but now it is expanding into strategies for climate-vulnerable groups to respond to climate risks and enhance urban resilience.
Kim in particular noted, "To adapt to a changing climate, environmental performance—such as how well a city can absorb water and mitigate heat—must become an important criterion going forward," and suggested, "When constructing buildings or undertaking development projects, you can offer floor area ratio incentives if rainwater storage or detention functions are secured to store rainwater or reduce flooding; encourage rooftop greening to curb urban heat islands; or partially reduce development charges if blue infrastructure like water spaces is secured." The following is a Q&A.
What is the most important factor in urban green space policy?
"For green space, accessibility matters more than size. For example, even if there is a large 40-hectare park (about 400,000 square meters, the size of Gyeongbokgung Palace or Sydney Park in Australia) on one side of the city, if it is 10 kilometers from home, it is difficult to use on a daily basis. In contrast, if several small parks of around 1 hectare (about 10,000 square meters) are dispersed across daily living areas, citizens can use them far more often. That is why we say, "Forty 1-hectare parks are more effective than one 40-hectare park." Urban regeneration strategies also need a network approach that links green spaces within living areas rather than creating large parks."
What should change in urban regeneration policy in the era of climate change?
"Until now, urban regulation has focused on density controls such as floor area ratio. But going forward, we must also evaluate environmental performance, such as how well a city can store water and mitigate heat. For example, it is possible to offer floor area ratio incentives if rainwater detention facilities are installed or rooftop greening is introduced. We can also consider policies that partially reduce development charges if blue infrastructure like water spaces is secured. Ultimately, the goal of urban regeneration should shift from "how much we built" to "how much the city can absorb risks and recover quickly.""
You have studied cities in various countries, including the United States, China and Dubai. What are the most distinctive institutional and social characteristics of urban regeneration in Korea?
"The characteristics of Korea's urban regeneration appear in three main structures. First, there is a strong central government–led structure. Korea's urban regeneration policy is often operated in a way in which the central government determines much of the project direction and the structure of financial support. Second, land ownership is highly dispersed. In old downtown areas, there are many small parcels in private ownership, so when trying to pursue gradual regeneration, it is often difficult to reconcile interests. Lastly, there is a very strong tendency to treat real estate as an asset. Because dwellings and land are perceived not merely as places to live but as important assets, expectations of price increases play a major role when development is promoted.
Because of these structures, actual urban change in Korea tends to move between two models. One is the redevelopment model centered on full demolition and high-density apartment development, and the other is the urban regeneration model that maintains the existing urban structure and improves it gradually. Although urban regeneration is emphasized in policy, in reality the redevelopment model often operates more strongly due to expectations of rising real estate values and development pressure."
"For green space, accessibility matters more than size. For example, even if there is a large 40-hectare park (about 400,000 square meters, the size of Gyeongbokgung Palace or Sydney Park in Australia) on one side of the city, if it is 10 kilometers from home, it is difficult to use on a daily basis. In contrast, if several small parks of around 1 hectare (about 10,000 square meters) are dispersed across daily living areas, citizens can use them far more often."
Korea is a society where experiences of high density and rapid growth coexist with a strong tendency to treat real estate as an asset. What constraints or opportunities do these characteristics present for climate-adaptive urban regeneration?
"The social characteristics of a high-density urban structure and a strong tendency to treat real estate as an asset have two major effects on climate-adaptive urban regeneration. First, there are constraints. Due to concerns about declines in real estate values, there is a possibility of resistance to disclosing climate risk information or to policies that restrict development.
"But at the same time, there are important opportunities. Korea has a very fast real estate market and pace of urban development. Therefore, once the market starts reflecting climate risks in prices, changes in urban space may also appear very quickly. For example, if factors such as flood risk, heat exposure and energy costs begin to be reflected in real estate values, climate adaptation investments such as green infrastructure, cool-city design and energy efficiency improvements could spread rapidly."
Studies suggest that "perception" of climate risks also affects policy and the real estate market.
"Risk is not explained by objective figures alone. How people perceive it determines policy acceptance and market responses. For example, even in areas with the same flood potential, older adults perceive it as a matter of survival and health, residents with dwellings see it as a risk of falling real estate prices, and young people think of it as a question of whether to move to another area. If urban regeneration policy does not take these perception gaps into account, a disconnect can arise between policy design and what residents feel.
"Recently, AI-based satellite data can precisely analyze heat islands, flood risks and access to green spaces, and can also confirm how such climate risks are actually reflected in asset prices or area values. Using this information, we can evaluate urban regeneration goals not as simple development but from the perspective of how much the city can absorb climate risks, and we can accurately determine which infrastructure or environmental improvements are needed first."
Has Korea's urban regeneration institutionally internalized ESG standards?
"While ESG (environmental, social and governance) elements are partly reflected in Korea's current urban regeneration policy, it is still hard to say they are mandated based on quantitative indicators. In particular, the S in ESG—social equity indicators—is relatively weak. Going forward, urban regeneration projects should more clearly incorporate ESG metrics such as climate risk disclosures, ratios of social mixing and building energy efficiency standards in project approval or evaluation processes."
What is the ultimate goal of urban regeneration?
"Urban regeneration is not merely a construction project. Going forward, how quickly a city can recover after a disaster will be an important criterion. I believe urban regeneration in the era of climate change is ultimately the process of building systems that allow the city to absorb risks."