Seoul districts transform idle urban spaces into neighborhood gardens

Seoul's autonomous districts are moving to convert idle urban spaces into small gardens, in line with the "Charming Garden City Seoul" policy championed by Mayor Oh Se-hoon.

Traffic islands, roadsides, disused railway land and empty corners of parks that once sat neglected are being replanted with flowers and trees, giving residents places to rest and recharge in their daily lives.

Garden-building is increasingly seen as more than a cosmetic upgrade. Planners say the projects can help counter the climate crisis, ease the urban heat-island effect and reduce fine-dust levels — earning the label "everyday green welfare."

Yangcheon-gu, Gangdong-gu and Guro-gu have each recently completed distinctive themed gardens and green spaces that have drawn an enthusiastic response from residents, according to the districts.

Yangcheon-gu, led by District Mayor Lee Gi-jae, is pursuing a goal of planting 1,004 themed gardens across its residential areas by 2029 — enough for residents to encounter a garden within a five-minute walk from anywhere in the district.

The district created 237 garden sites covering roughly 40,000 square meters last year and is now expanding the project with a target of 250 additional sites this year.

So far this year, 83 new sites have opened, including a "Tulip Garden" at Sinjeong Herb Park, a "Semi-Shade Garden" in front of Exit 1 of Yangcheon-gu Office Station and a "Pocket Specialty Garden" in front of the district office.

A 1,150-square-meter "In-Between Garden" has been laid out in idle space at Euddeum Street Park, complete with a walking path and wooden deck platforms. The diet lane along Gukhoe-daero and the traffic island at Sinjeong Intersection have been turned into "Four-Season Flowering Gardens," giving residents a changing landscape with every season.

Yangcheon-gu plans to develop these gardens into signature local attractions by linking them to the 2026 Seoul International Garden Expo.

Gangdong-gu, led by District Mayor Lee Su-hee, has created a "Breeze Herb Garden" on idle land near the entrance to Farmix Garden in Myeongil Neighborhood Park.

Farmix Garden is an urban-agriculture complex combining cultivation, education and community functions, and serves as a space for residents to walk and take part in hands-on activities.

The new herb garden is planted with familiar medicinal species — balloon flower, peony, chrysanthemum and Korean mint — so visitors can stroll while taking in the scent of the herbs. Ornamental grasses such as Chinese pennisetum and feather reed grass have been added to create a shifting seasonal landscape.

Gangdong-gu expects the space, which blends urban agriculture with garden culture, to support residents' emotional well-being and enrich their leisure activities.

Guro-gu, led by District Mayor Jang In-hong, has converted idle land along the railway near Guil Station into a new green space for residents.

The 4,600-square-meter site in the Guro-dong 644-15 area is state-owned land belonging to the Korea National Railway. The district signed a land-use agreement with the railway authority last year before moving ahead with the project.

The 1.55 billion won (roughly $1.1 million) project goes beyond simple greening. The space has been designed as a multi-generational rest area for children, teenagers, middle-aged adults and seniors, with play areas, exercise facilities and rest zones distributed in a balanced layout open to all residents.

Where large-scale park development once defined urban greening, "pocket gardens" and themed gardens tucked into residential neighborhoods are now emerging as a new direction in city policy.

Residents can pause among flowers and trees on their daily commutes and evening walks, while the districts gain a cost-effective way to improve the city's image on relatively modest budgets.

As Seoul's "Charming Garden" policy spreads into district-level projects with their own local character, once-barren urban corners are being reborn as neighborhood retreats and local landmarks.

The "small garden you stumble upon on a walk" is fast becoming one of Seoul's new competitive strengths.