Abstract
The decline of inner-city manufacturing industries is a global phenomenon, leaving behind vacant land and brownfield sites in cities. These post-industrial areas with their negative images of dereliction and obsolete urban environments have prompted many cities to implement various redevelopment strategies, among which is the concept of the Urban Entertainment Center (UEC), which combines shopping, recreation, and entertainment, with various public spaces. This study attempts to understand the changes that have been triggered by the revitalization strategy of UEC development in large-scale post-industrial sites in Seoul. Here, Special Planning District (SPD) regulation has been adopted to induce creative and long-term urban developments; however, this has been limited to private high-rise residential buildings. This paper examines two UEC development cases applied along with the SPD in semi-industrial areas for their achievements that differ from former implementations. Our analysis reveals several positive aspects: it provides a sustainable urban infrastructure for the region, overcomes the limitations of the SPD regulation practice, and establishes improved urban environment and design quality oriented toward public interest. The “privatization of planning” has become an issue in redevelopment projects. However, the two UEC precedents that are discussed imply that building cooperative public–private partnerships through a reciprocal process will secure more public benefit overall.
Highlights
The decline of manufacturing industry and the rise of new form of development in cities has been a global phenomenon
Urban Entertainment Center (UEC) developments have been induced in two Special Planning District (SPD) sites within the semi-industrial regions
Elaborating on the public sector’s organizational system and process, the borough office proposes the contents of the district unit plan, and the SPD details the design guidelines that were prepared through consultation with the developer
Summary
The decline of manufacturing industry and the rise of new form of development in cities has been a global phenomenon. The Urban Entertainment Center (UEC) is usually a dominant structure in the urban landscape that includes components such as shopping complexes, multiplexes, restaurants, and theme parks in addition to a spectrum of “outdoor plaza, corridors, paths, trails, courtyards, and interior spaces that blur the line between public and private property and space” [30], which distinguishes it from an ordinary shopping mall Developing these large-scale urban retail systems involve multiple issues among public and private sectors, regulation policies, local communities, and quality of space. In Seoul, urban planning regulation for land use has been slow in reacting toward recently built multi-use or mixed-use development, while the principal agent for development has switched from the public to the private sector This phenomenon, referred to by Shatkin as the “privatization of planning,” has resulted in allowing the private sector to develop mega-projects that identify local forces and conducting a detailed analysis of the overall urban form, in Asian cities that are experiencing the process of “Westernization” [31]. Discussions will include planning implications from the two UEC cases and limitations regarding constant efforts to establish a well-balanced public–private partnership that suits their respective purposes
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
