The Korean National Drive for Green and Smart Urbanisation

Abstract

Korea is one of the most densely populated (509 inhabitants/km2, as of 2015) and urbanised countries in the world. Rapid industrialisation after the 1960s has been accompanied by massive urbanisation, and today, more than 80 per cent of the total population lives in cities and urban areas. Throughout this unprecedented urbanisation process, there have been national plans or strategies in place, which have guided urban and spatial development of the nation, and through which the national government has been seeking to coordinate its visions, goals and actions to achieve the nation’s development and provide an environment of well-being for its people. The purpose of this paper is to share the Korean experience of urban and territorial evolution through the lens of national urban policy and sustainable urban development. For this, the paper reviews key features of the Comprehensive National Territorial Plans (CNTPs) and the National Strategy for Green Growth (NSGG), and then tracks Korea’s endeavours to make its cities greener and smarter. Through the CNTPs, Korea succeeded in establishing a strong connection between the process of national development and the dynamics of urbanisation. On the other hand, the NSGG served as a catalyzer that has accelerated efforts for a more sustainable urbanisation, addressing issues of climate change and urban green growth. More recently, the smart city development has emerged as a transformative response to urban problems and a driver for growth in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. A decentralised urban Korea in a globalising world is faced with multiple challenges and opportunities today. Some of them are inherited, and others are newly arising. The last part of this paper is a discussion on the lessons and ways forward for future sustainable urbanisation in Korea, which may prove useful particularly to the developing countries at early stages of urban development.