Busan invites citizens to shape the future of its historic downtown

Busan has launched a citizen-led initiative to chart the future of its original downtown district.

The city held an inaugural ceremony Monday afternoon at the international conference hall of City Hall, formally launching the "Living Zone Plan (Original Downtown) Citizen Participation Group" under the theme of "Establishing a citizen-led, citizen-endorsed living zone plan."

The project aims to conduct a detailed analysis of residents' everyday living spaces based on the vision set out in the "2040 Busan Urban Master Plan." The goal is to restore vitality to the original downtown, which has been declining due to population loss and aging, while building an urban planning framework capable of proactively responding to future demographic shifts. The initiative is significant in that residents will participate directly in the policymaking process.

The ceremony was attended by Mayor Jeon Jae-soo, Cho Sang-jin, chair of the City Council's Construction and Transportation Committee, lawmaker Kim Sang-uk, and about 130 members of the citizen participation group. The event proceeded from an opening declaration through the mayor's address and a congratulatory speech by the committee chair, followed by a commemorative photo. Choi Yeol, the professor serving as the project's chief planner, then delivered a lecture titled "Understanding the Living Zone Plan." A briefing on upcoming workshop schedules and a quiz session on living zone planning were also held to help participants deepen their understanding.

The "Living Zone Plan (Original Downtown) Establishment Study" covers Jung-gu, Seo-gu, Dong-gu, Yeongdo-gu, Busanjin-gu and Nam-gu, with a target year of 2040. The combined area of the six districts spans 97.34 square kilometers.

The study, with a total budget of 1.5 billion won ($995,000), began in November last year and is set for completion in November next year. Kyongho Engineering General Architects, Geowon Engineering (lead firm) and Samyeong Technology are handling the urban transportation component, while Siteplanningarchitects is responsible for the architecture component.

The citizen participation group launched Monday will identify key issues and resources in the original downtown, help define a vision for its future, and work to produce a blueprint reflecting residents' voices. The group will also directly assess shortfalls in local cultural, sports, childcare and welfare facilities and other social infrastructure, and play a central role in building a balanced supply system focused on underserved areas.

Ideas and opinions gathered through upcoming workshops — covering both the broader original downtown zone and smaller district-level units — will be actively incorporated into plans for the area's future spatial layout and sector-specific spatial management guidelines.

Busan said it will also put in place the regulatory groundwork needed to ensure citizen proposals are swiftly translated into concrete projects, including enacting and revising ordinances and guidelines related to living infrastructure support.

"A living zone plan that residents can relate to and feel in their daily lives is the starting point for a balanced, livable city," Mayor Jeon said. "I ask the citizen participation group to engage actively, with the pride of shaping the future of the neighborhood where you live." He added that the city would incorporate diverse public opinions into policy "to build a city where every resident's daily life is convenient and fulfilling."