Unused space near Haenuri Welfare Center reimagined as 'Donghaeng Charm Garden' with 16 plant species; hanging flower baskets installed along Sinwol 4-dong's pedestrian street
Yangcheon-gu announced Sunday that it has converted an underused plot near the Haenuri Welfare Center into a new green space called the "Donghaeng Charm Garden," and installed hanging flower baskets along the "Street Worth Walking" in Sinwol 4-dong.
The projects are part of the district's broader "Yangcheon Charm Garden Initiative," which aims to link small pockets of space — roadside strips, leftover lots and narrow green belts — into a continuous garden network beyond conventional parks and large green areas. The district is working toward a city where residents encounter a garden within a five-minute walk of their homes.
The Donghaeng Charm Garden was created by reclaiming idle land near the Haenuri Welfare Center in Sinjeong 6-dong. The site had long been neglected due to soil erosion and drainage problems; the district regraded the ground, improved drainage and redesigned the layout so the garden flows naturally into the surrounding pedestrian path.
Sixteen species of trees and flowering plants — including crape myrtles, hydrangeas and echinacea — were planted in a garden-style arrangement. The space is expected to serve as an everyday green retreat where welfare center visitors and nearby residents can experience the changing seasons and take a moment to rest.
Volunteers from the Yangcheon Garden Service Corps took part directly in the planting. The district actively runs resident-participation programs, including neighborhood-level garden volunteer units and the "Y Gardening Crew," to spread a culture in which residents build and tend gardens themselves.
On the Street Worth Walking in Sinwol 4-dong, the district installed hanging flower baskets to create a flower-lined path for daily life. Wave petunias, zinnias and dusty miller were planted in roadside baskets near Gangseo Elementary School, giving pedestrians a close-up view of flowers and seasonal change on their everyday routes.
The Street Worth Walking had deteriorated over its 20-year history, with damage to sidewalks and planters, but was refurbished last year as a pedestrian-centered street. A 26-member Yangcheon Garden Service Corps unit made up of Sinwol 4-dong residents now manages the garden. The street was also recognized this year with the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Garden City Award for its contribution to spreading a resident-led garden culture.
The district plans to continue making use of leftover and idle spaces across the urban area, building 1,004 theme gardens in phases through 2029 to create a "Garden City Yangcheon" where residents can enjoy nature as part of daily life.
Yangcheon-gu District Mayor Lee Gi-jae said he hopes the garden city initiative — which he described as adding green vitality to residents' everyday lives — will allow everyone to enjoy the leisure and happiness that gardens bring. "We will continue to expand beautiful gardens throughout residential areas and make Yangcheon an eco-friendly, premium city," he said.
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