By Boram Lee

During the 20th century, many planners attempted to modify city policies as well as community development with new ideas and techniques. Numerous factors, including the rapid population and urban growth, have shaped contemporary planning to accommodate people in certain areas, and the shift in responsibility from independent commission to local government occurred (Gerckens). Similarly, Gary Hack once states, “The pattern of settlement has immediate human consequences,” explaining how cities have been built by people, but ultimately, for people (Hack 33). For example. public housing became a phenomenon in a rapidly urbanizing society, where social interaction was decreasing because of the nature of how cities were built. In cities of dense housing accompanied by a lack of areas for recreational activities, people had little opportunity to socialize with others and eventually fail to improve lifestyles.

As the capital city of Republic of Korea, Seoul has been the center of the country. Heavily damaged from the Korean War in 1950s, there was nothing other than rice paddies. However, with effective reconstructions and compelling urban developments, Seoul re-emerged as the central city and has become a business center. People began to move toward the metropolitan area because of the promise of jobs and prosperity. In fact, in the 1990s, Seoul contains 25% of population, while it was only 10% in the 1960s (Kim, Park, and Eun 467). Consequently, the Korean government attempted to reduce the dominance of Seoul by promoting decentralization through moving government agencies out and expanding educational facilities because many resided in Seoul for the higher education for their children (Population Growth and Policies in Mega-Cities: Seoul 25). New cities, such as Bundang and Ilsan, were planned as satellite cities near Seoul and built not only to prevent the spatial structure concentrated, but also to improve residential conditions. Dongtan New Towns, particularly, demonstrate the success of housing development because they succeeded to control population growth and avoided excessive urban sprawl at the same time.

In fact, the idea of allowing residents to avoid the noise of a city when in need of relaxation came from the “Garden Cities” by Ebenezer Howard. The Garden Cities is a scheme to create a new town that possesses all functions commercial, business, residential, and recreational districts to discourage people from having to leave the community. This would reduce traffic and thus lessen the cost of maintenance and reduce pollution and congestion (Howard 328). When Ford introduced Model-T during the early 1900s, commuting beyond walking distance became more realistic. This caused the extension of the Garden Cities to suburbs that introduced a concept of separating the business and residential areas. This prioritized the people and public health over economical aspects, and cities may have less pollution and more comfortable and peaceful environments for residents by separating residential and business areas. Similarly, Dongtan New Towns adapted Howard’s plan and developed his ideas through designing highways to ways of getting in and out of the city and providing stable supply of housing. The better access to the freeway systems reinforces linkage between Dongtan New Towns and other cities, such as Seoul, and consequently, people prefer to live outside of urban boundaries, increasing the number of residents in Dongtan New Towns (Population Growth and Policies in Mega-Cities: Seoul 27).

On the other hand, the attempt to improve livability, oftentimes, leads to an increase in price and property of an area because of the increase in demand for the property. When this happens, only the wealthy population can afford to buy houses in this district and thus, poor people are forced to live in poor neighborhoods that have frequent social problems, such as high levels of crime rate and insufficient basic needs like public service and education. Wealthy neighborhoods have stores and activities that are oriented to satisfy the wants of wealthy people, while it becomes virtually impossible for poor people to engage or participate in such privileged activities such as purchasing expensive food, clothes, and club memberships. However, Dongtan New Towns were so well planned that there were no segregation of income groups that every people live in healthy, safe, and convenient neighborhoods. The government continuously has created better environments in public spaces near houses, supported people to interact each other, and encouraged urban functions formerly performed by Seoul. Although decentralization might affect poverty and income inequality, Dongtan New Towns have not experienced such disadvantages, but succeeded in providing equal houses to residents.

Like Dongtan New Towns, many cities have guided our development and people have become habituated to their environment. People eat, sleep, and laugh in the city, where sorrow and joys are both housed. Residents in Dongtan New Towns now experience the sophisticated web of the city and realize again: this is where they breathe. In this way, Dongtan New Towns successfully provided safe and affordable housing that has helped to decentralize population. Living in buildings and houses that are individually separated but linked each other, lives are built as well, intertwined by layers of human sweat, pride, and hopefulness.

References

“Development of New Towns.” Korea Land and Housing Corporation. 2010. Web. 23 Oct. 2013. <http://www.lh.or.kr/lh_html/lh_citycont/citycont_3_1.asp>.

Ha, Seong-Kyu. “Urban Growth and Housing Development in Korea: A Critical Overview.” Korea Journal (1999): 63-95. Web. 21 Oct.2013. <http://gsis.korea.ac.kr/file/board_data/mboard/1270966821_1.pdf>. (Peer-reviewed)

Hack, Gary. “Shaping Urban Form.” Planning Ideas That Matter: Livability, Territoriality, Governance, and Reflective Practice. Ed. Bishwapriya Sanyal, Lawrence J. Vale, and Christina Rosan. Cambridge: MIT, 2012. Print.

Kim, Tu-sop, Sang-tae Park, and Ki-su Eun. Han’guk ŭi ingu. Taejŏn Kwangyŏksi: Tonggyechŏng, 2002. Print.

Population Growth and Policies in Mega-Cities: Seoul. New York: United Nations, 1986. Print.

Schätzl, Ludwig, Karin Wessel, Yong Lee, and Ursel Kurz. Regional Development and Decentralization Policy in South Korea. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 1997. Print.