Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Revamping the city center

An architectural commission inaugurated by President Lee "Bulldozer" Myungbak unveiled plans to resdesign the downtown Seoul area.

The Korea Herald article is short on details or pictures, but it includes stuff we've already heard about or that have already started, like the repositioning of Kwanghwamun to its original, traffic-obstructing location. The tree-lined street in front of that is set to become a public plaza. I guess the Mad Cow blockades of 2008 were good practice for seeing how Seoul would operate if vehicular traffic couldn't move through that main artery. At any rate, after the US embassy moves to what is now Camp Coiner, such a plaza will attract fewer demonstrators, maybe.

The plans have been expanded to include a seven-kilometer stretch from downtown to the Han River, passing by Ch'ŏnggyech'ŏn Stream (청계천), City Hall, Namdaemun, Seoul Station, and Nodŭlsŏm Island (노들섬). Since the HQ and home of Kushibo Enterprises and Kushibo, respectively, are located near Namdaemun Gate and Seoul Station, I hope the city doesn't "plan" me out of a place to live.

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