Imagining the Paths of Cities: A Case of Korean City

Abstract

This paper presents a model for Korea’s cities that describes the characteristics of growth pattern and morphological transformation. To do so, it uses the case of ‘HanJoo (한주 韓州)’, a hypothetical in-land city on Korean Peninsula, which is developed based on a set of preliminary studies of several Korean cities. The narrative model using illustrations is intends to examine the process of four-staged developments in the central urban area: (1) walled town to regional center (675–1890); (2) town expansion via grid blocks (1890–1945); (3) industrial district and factory complex linked by inter-city highway (1946–1994); (4) new community development and massive suburban growth (1995–present). The study, anticipating further subsequent work in the future, attempts to identify the growth, change and decline mechanism of the built environment in both old and new cities. The findings can help guide decision-makers whose public actions are likely to influence a city’s development process and direction, with more informed planning alternatives within both larger city and larger region.