| South Korea | Urban Regeneration Special Act 2013; 131 projects nationwide; ongoing
What was done
South Korea's Urban Regeneration Special Act (2013) established a legal and financial framework for community-centred urban regeneration. In Seoul, the Metropolitan Government has implemented 131 urban regeneration projects supported by Urban Regeneration Support Centres (URSCs) embedded in target neighbourhoods. Each URSC stations master planners, community activists, and social workers onsite to facilitate communication between residents, municipal departments, and private actors. Residents participate through Community Planning Groups that co-design public buildings, parks, and streetscapes. The Seongbuk District pioneered participatory budgeting for neighbourhood-scale public amenities. Specific projects (Haengchon, Seongbuk-dong) involved residents as co-designers of community facilities and cultural conservation strategies.
Key Outcomes
- 131 urban regeneration projects implemented across Seoul with resident participation mechanisms built into each.
- Urban Regeneration Support Centres with 187 on-site staff across 23 offices facilitated sustained community engagement.
- Shift away from demolition-and-redevelopment toward in-situ improvement preserving existing social networks.
- Community Planning Groups and participatory digital platforms broadened engagement beyond traditional public meetings.
- Model influenced national Urban Regeneration New Deal (2017), scaling up to 500 projects nationwide.
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