Anyang Mayor Choi Dae-ho presented findings from a benchmarking trip to gardens and urban green spaces in the United Kingdom and France at a monthly staff assembly held Thursday at City Hall, outlining how the lessons could shape Anyang's vision as a carbon-neutral garden city. He also shared the results of a special keynote address he delivered at a UN International Telecommunication Union forum.
Choi stressed that gardens are not merely spaces for leisure but serve as critical infrastructure for addressing the climate crisis, preserving biodiversity and strengthening urban connectivity, and used examples from Europe to lay out a sustainable garden-city vision for Anyang.
The presentation was organized to share the outcomes of a benchmarking study tour to the UK and France conducted from Sept. 9 to 17, undertaken as part of efforts to realize "Carbon-Neutral Garden City Anyang" — one of six core policy directions of the city's current elected administration.
The delegation visited leading garden and urban regeneration sites, including Kew Gardens, Chelsea Physic Garden and the Eden Project in the UK, and the Promenade Plantée, Paris Rive Gauche and Clichy-Batignolles in France, examining how each contributes to climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, quality of life and local economic vitality.
Among the sites, the Eden Project in Cornwall, England, was highlighted as a case study in ecological restoration, environmental education and tourism combined in a single space. Famous for its giant greenhouse domes known as biomes, the Eden Project was presented as an example of transforming an abandoned site into a world-class ecotourism destination and environmental education hub.
France's Promenade Plantée and Paris Rive Gauche were cited as model cases of repurposing disused railways and former industrial land to create urban green corridors and pedestrian axes that effectively knit together city functions.
The presentation identified biodiversity and species conservation practices in the UK, and urban ecological network connectivity in France, as the key takeaways. In addition, both countries were noted for their emphasis on garden-based environmental education, local economic revitalization and water-cycle management through low-impact development techniques.
"The European visit and participation in the UN forum were a meaningful opportunity to share Anyang's vision for a sustainable future with the world and confirm its potential," Choi said. "We will continue working to improve the quality of life for our residents and make Anyang shine on the world stage."
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