Serious Development Disturbance Reduces New Town to "Bed-Town"

“Considering the current hellish traffic situation in Seoul, I better give up driving after moving into Park-View Apt. in June.”

The workplace of Ms. Kang (32), living in WooSung Apt., Jungjadong, Bundanggu, Sungnamsi, Kyungkido, is around Bang-Bang crossroad, Yucksamdong, Kangnamgu, Seoul. Kang leaves her home at 7 a.m. to come to the office at 8:30 a.m. She doesn’t drive on Monday, when traffic’s usually backed up.

“During mid-1990, I could arrive at Kangnam within 30 minutes,” Kang complained. “Due to development disturbance of Suji, Yongin and residential area-shopping center complex Apt. at Bundang since last year, the traffic situation is getting worse.”

Initially, Bundang was designed as a "self-sufficient new town," where business facilities harmonize with residential ones. After a large-scale residential area-shopping center complex appeared instead of a downtown facility, however, it has been criticized for being reduced to the "bed-town" of Seoul.

Especially, 3,6000 pyong of Bakgung-Jungja district, which appeared as the core area of Bundang, was developed as a large-scale residential area after changing from a business facility to a residential-area shopping center, in May, 2000.

The residential area-shopping center complex at this district includes a total of 6,236 houses at 18 developments. Doosan Weve Jenice, Royal Palace and i-Park Bundang are nearly finished. Park-view, Sungwon Santaeview Rigency and Dongyang Paragon are scheduled for move-in. According to this information, the traffic situation will only get worse.

At Ilsan, Koyangsi, a movement toward changing the use of 3,3000 pyong at Baksukdong from a site for business to a site for residential area-shopping center complex has been canceled due to counteraction of citizens and Kyungkido.

Regarding continuous questions on new city development disturbances, Ministry Construction and Transportation announced that it would restrict the change of site use for 20 years, in cases of ongoing or coming new cities, such as Pankyo and Hwasung-Dongtan.

According to this announcement, over 100,0000 pyong residence areas, which are classified by Ministry Construction and Transportation as new cities, could not change usage from self-sufficient sites (such as commerce-business-industry district), to sites for apartments or residential area-shopping centers.

“It is possible that someone will try to change the use of venture districts of new city, Pankyo use to residential area-shopping center complex,” an officer of Ministry Construction &Transportation said. “We need to prohibit that from the very beginning.”

Kwang-Hyun Kim kkh@donga.com