Street trees play a vital role in urban life during the sweltering summer months, cooling city heat and offering shade and rest to pedestrians.
Because street trees are so closely woven into daily life, they require not only careful tending for healthy growth but also thoughtful management that takes the surrounding streetscape into account.
In response, Mapo-gu — led by District Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun — is launching a "street tree fashion project" that trims trees to bring out the natural characteristics of each species while creating a distinctive landscape on every street.
Unlike conventional pruning, which simply removes unwanted branches, the project uses sculptural shaping to guide each tree's canopy into a defined form — circular, square, or otherwise — based on its growth condition and surroundings.
The approach keeps trees neat and balanced, improving the streetscape, while also clearing branches that obscure traffic signs or extend into the roadway, enhancing safety for both pedestrians and vehicles.
The first stretch to receive the treatment is Yanghwa-ro. Mapo-gu completed sculptural shaping of 226 ginkgo trees along the roughly 1-kilometer corridor between Hongik University Station and Hapjeong Station in late July. The trees were guided into a rounded, full circular form to highlight the ginkgo's naturally lush, dome-like canopy.
Residents have responded warmly to the newly shaped trees. A post on the Mapo-gu website's "Let's Give Praise" board on July 28 read: "The street trees have been trimmed beautifully — signage is clearly visible, walking is unobstructed, and the crew even cleaned up carefully after finishing. We're grateful."
The district plans to extend the sculptural shaping to London plane trees along Mapo-daero between Gongdeok Station and Ahyeon intersection, as well as along sections of Seongsanno near the Hongjecheon stream where no obstructions exist. Given the plane tree's wide-spreading branches, those trees will be shaped into a square canopy form, offering a streetscape distinct from the circular ginkgos on Yanghwa-ro.
"Street trees are green spaces that provide shade and rest in the city, and they are an important landscape element that shapes the character of each street," District Mayor Yoo said. "Through sculptural shaping that draws out the characteristics of each species and route, we will create a safe, comfortable walking environment and a distinctive streetscape."
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