Metropolitan Government Research Articles

서울시 전기차 보급을 위한 공공 급속충전기의 최적입지 분석

The uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) has risen with the global uptrend of many countries" decarbonization policies. EVs have received the world"s attention as the most effective method to reduce carbon dioxide on the road. Except for the forerunners in electric mobility, most countries have just started installing and providing public charging infrastructure. In the initial adoption stage of EVs, the public infrastructure for charging is crucial to appeal to the public, thereby accelerating its adoption. Previous studies on public fast-charging stations have rarely integrated real-world problems and spatial constraints into the optimal location. To solve this contextual gap, the study proposed identifying the optimal location for fast-charging public stations through a spatial location-allocation model based on a road network and demand analysis based on the total number of registered EVs by the districts. Seoul Metropolitan Government aims to supply 22,000 charging stations and 300 fast chargers by 2022. This study, therefore, considered the optimal allocation of the public fast-charging stations in Seoul. To identify the location points where new charging stations can be installed for 25 districts of Seoul, this study initially applied the Service Area Analysis and Minimum Facility methods of the spatial Location-Allocation Model. Identifying the number of the installation points was based on the criteria for the total number of registered EVs by the district through a demand analysis. This study recognized that the Service Area Analysis had its methodological limitation due to not reflecting the differentiated demand by considering only the optimal location, not the density of charging stations. The implementation of the demand analysis resolved this limitation. This complementary methodology demonstrated a significant approach, considering the charging station distribution and the density of chargers in charging stations when considering future expansions of the charging network.

‘Take Care of Stray Cats’: biopolitical life ethics and its cosmopolitical countermethod

ABSTRACT The current regime of biopolitics is characterized by its advanced capability of communicating life as a fact to be optimized through its biomedical and bio-capitalist apparatuses. Seoul Metropolitan Government’s launch of its new community platform, ‘Take Care of Stray Cats’, in 2014 was an attempt to apply this biopolitical optimization of life to the condition of the city’s stray cat lives. Indispensable for the success of this platform was the participation of individual cat lovers, who were then asked to work as citizen geo-taggers to convert the physical presences of stray cats into the markers on its map app so that other geo-tagged corporate and governmental apparatuses, such as veterinary clinics, cat shelters, and feeding and resting areas could communicate about their presences. So, some cat lovers’ petition against the platform that led to its early shutdown in 2015 has been criticized as revealing their ignorance of the ethical and communitarian rationale of the platform. This paper, on the other hand, focuses on a different ontology of life on which the cat lovers’ everyday caring practices were based and how its care for the cats’ responsiveness, rather than simple geo-taggable facts, evolved into their ontological politics as the countermethod to biopolitics.

COVID-19 pandemic facilitate the adoption of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery in a public hospital in Korea (332)

Objectives: Despite an increasing number of reports on the adoption of the enhanced recovery after surgery program (ERAS) in gynecology in Western countries, there are very few reports on this topic in Korea. Distinct characteristics for infrastructure and insurance systems may attribute to the slow adoption of ERAS. The COVID-19 pandemic forced rearrangement of medical resources, especially in public hospitals dealing with the disease in the frontline. This study aimed to investigate how a public hospital deals with gynecologic surgeries in the circumstances of limited resources caused by the pandemic.Methods: As the COVID-19 developed as a pandemic, the Seoul Metropolitan Government Boramae Medical Center hospital evacuated several wards to admit patients severely suffering COVID-19 since March 2020. The bed count assigned for the obstetrics and gynecology (OBGY) department was forced to decrease from 28 beds to 16 beds (-42%). The availability of outpatient clinics and the surgical facility was not affected. In order to maintain surgical volume, we promptly adopted ERAS in the whole OBGY surgery. Early feeding and individualized discharge planning were applied for all inpatient surgical cases to cope with reduced inpatient volume. The number of surgeries and average hospital stay were compared before and after inpatient volume reduction.Results: There was a slight decrease in the number of total surgeries due to the reduction of Cesarean section cases (1335 in 2018, 1331 in 2019, 1279 in 2020). However, the number of surgeries for benign and malignant gynecologic diseases was not reduced (771 and 94 in 2019, 737 and 94 in 2020, respectively). The proportion of minimally invasive hysterectomy for benign diseases increased (58.8% in 2019, 72.2% in 2020, p=0.03). Single site laparoscopic surgery for the benign adnexal disease increased (40.8% in 2019, 56.1% in 2020, p<0.001). The hospital stay for cesarean section, abdominal hysterectomy, laparoscopic hysterectomy, oncologic staging surgery, laparoscopic adnexal surgery significantly decreased with an average difference of one day. The 90-days re-admission rate was not different between 2019 and 2020.Conclusions: COVID-19 pandemic-related medical resource shortage accelerated adaptation of ERAS in OBGY surgery. Repositioning the medical resources more efficiently is imperative as the COVID-19 pandemic gain momentum.

La representación democrática en los gobiernos metropolitanos en Europa: entre el reescalamiento de los sistemas locales y la innovación institucional

Metropolitan governance studies have traditionally focused on factors such as effectiveness and efficiency in the provision of public goods and services. Yet, we have recently seen the resurgence of debates around metropolitan democratic governance at the same time as the consolidation of new structures of metropolitan government have occurred in several European countries. In spite of that, there is still an important knowledge gap about metropolitan models of government and metropolitan electoral systems. Through the comparative analysis of metropolitan governments in the United Kingdom, France and Germany we identify four main models: metropolitan presidentialism, localist metropolitan parliamentarism, consolidated metropolitan parliamentarism, and full metropolitan government. Moreover, the comparative analysis shows not only the influence of the respective local institutional contexts in the metropolitan government and electoral systems, but also how these reforms are opportunities to introduce innovative institutional designs.

Between Decentralization and Recentralization: Conflicts in Intramunicipal and Intermunicipal Governance in Tokyo’s Shrinking Suburbs

&lt;p&gt;The suburbs of Tokyo Metropolis are experiencing path-dependent, multifaceted shrinkage in socio-demographic, economic, and political and administrative (including fiscal) dimensions. The following two contradictory processes taking place in the opposite direction are at work, namely: the political and administrative decentralization of authority and responsibility (although without much fiscal devolution), and the socio-demographic, economic, and fiscal recentralization of workplaces, residences, and municipal finance. As Tokyo’s suburbs confront these contradictory processes of decentralization and recentralization, they fall into the gap between, on the one hand, policies that prioritize the internationally competitive metropolitan center by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and, on the other hand, policies that address the growing problems of lagging provinces by the Government of Japan. These phenomena are affecting radical, but barely visible, changes in public affairs of municipal governments on the lowest tier. We thus examine the emerging modalities of intra- and inter-municipal affairs in Tokyo’s shrinking post-suburbs. First, we explore the intra-municipal upheavals, incorporating instabilities and disarrays, of ideas and practices inside a municipal government. Next, we investigate the inter-municipal upheavals that involve oscillations between unification and fragmentation among municipal governments. These interrelated intra- and inter-municipal upheavals hinder the consistency and timeliness of planning and decision-making in the local arena. In conclusion, we emphasize the importance of taming these upheavals and creating integrated governance systems by exploiting the emerging sense of the increasingly intertwined future among municipal governments. This is vital to strengthen local solidarity and promote inter-municipal collaborations at scales that can ensure metropolitan and suburban sustainability.&lt;/p&gt;

Analyzing the Effect of Social Distancing Policies on Traffic at Sinchon Station, South Korea, during the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic is recognized as one of the most serious global health problems, and many countries implemented lockdown measures to mitigate the effects of the crisis caused by this respiratory infectious disease. In this study, we investigated the relationship between social distancing policies and changes in traffic volume in Sinchon Station, South Korea. We used an official COVID-19 report provided by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KCDA) and Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) to review social distancing policies, and the changes in traffic patterns before and during the COVID-19 pandemic between January 2020 and November 2021 were analyzed. Our study reveals that the changes in the overall traffic patterns from acceleration phases to deceleration phases of COVID-19 were related to the alert levels of social distancing policies implemented to tackle the situation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Herein, we found that a significant decline in traffic volume took place from August to September 2020 (13.5–19.7%, weekday; 19.4–31.7%, weekend), from December 2020 to January 2021 (20.0%−26.6%, weekday; 26.8–34.0%, weekend), and from July to September 2021 (3.2–13.1%, weekday; 38.3–44.7%, weekend) when compared to the corresponding periods in 2019 (paired t-test; p < 0.001). The results of this study provide strong support for the effectiveness of Seoul’s preemptive measures, namely, the central government’s intensive social distancing campaign, in managing and reducing the impact of the pandemic situation based on the precise analysis of 10 types of facilities.

A Study on the Trends of Acceptance Criteria of the Relocation of Architectural Heritages and Priority Values of Monuments in Seoul

Relocation of architectural heritage at home and abroad has been permitted only in cases where it is ‘only as a last resort, if protection cannot be achieved by any other means’, but this standard is not specifically set, causing confusion. Against this background, this study looked at the allowable standards for relocation of all architectural heritage cases relocated within Seoul. The acceptance criteria for relocation could be divided into two categories: for urban development or for restoration. Riegl’s monument value system was borrowed in order to determine under what values of the times the permission of such a move was permitted. As a result, from the 1960s to the 1990s, structures of architectural heritage were recognized as objects of conservation, but the original site (land) was not. Additionally, at this time, the ‘values of the present’ of the architectural heritage (includes both the structure and the site) was given priority over the ‘values of the past’ of it. It is after the 1990s that the ‘values of the past’ of the site have been recognized, and as it becomes closer in recent years, the relocation of architectural heritage tends to be carried out only to restore its original site. In this study, by analyzing the case of Seoul, it was revealed in what cases the relocation of architectural heritage was allowed, and the value priorities that acted on the background were analyzed. This study is representative in that Seoul is the capital and largest city of Korea. In addition, this study examines the change in perception, values, and paradigm of each cultural heritage that has been shown by various national institutions (Cultural Heritage Administration, President, Seoul Metropolitan Government) from the 1960s to the present by analyzing the criteria for permission for the act of moving. It allows interpretation and comparison.

Can public‐private innovation partnerships improve public services? Evidence from a synthetic control approach

AbstractPublic‐Private Innovation (PPI) Partnerships can generate innovative approaches to improving public services. However, incomplete contract theories point to difficulties in making public‐private collaborations work effectively and efficiently. Drawing on these theories, we analyze the transfer of the management of a children's social services department in a large metropolitan government in England to an “improvement partnership” between the local government and two private firms. Using a synthetic control method approach, we find little evidence of improved health or educational outcomes for looked after children during the years following the creation of the partnership. However, there appears to be an increase in the costs of providing children's social services, which documentary evidence suggests may be attributable to weak contract management capacity, difficulties embedding performance monitoring, and additional expenditures on the partnership's reform programme. Our findings therefore highlight that effective supervision of PPI partnerships is essential for making them a success.

서울시 역세권 2030 청년주택의 계획방향 연구 - 미국 Affordable Housing과의 비교를 통해 -

As the housing poverty problem of young people became a social problem, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has tried to supply housings for youth of the 20s and 30s in the station areas, but, it experiences difficulties with the supply due to the negative perception of the residents who view youth housings as an abomination facility. The aim of this study is to identify ways supporting the supply of youth housings by addressing the negative perception problem in terms of the architectural design aspect. Firstly, the laws, guidelines, and checklists of ‘the Seoul 2030 Youth Housings’ were compared with those of the US ‘Affordable Housing’, and the architectural characteristics of youth housings near the stations in Seoul were identified. Further, the needs for the design of youth housings were investigated through a questionnaire survey. The results show that the ‘Seoul Station Area Youth Housing’ guideline has insufficient contents of building design and planning, but people put much value on the design aspect of housings, not satisfied with the current single-mass building design.

A Study on the Improvement of Local Government and Local Councils Hearings: Focused on AHP Analysis

The purpose of this study is to present improvement measures according to the relative importance through expert AHP analysis to improve the personnel hearing system of metropolitan governments. For the analysis, the opinions of professors related to administration and policy studies and experts in confirmation hearings were collected. As a result of the analysis, in order to improve the hearing system, the scope of the documents submitted to the hearing should be improved first, and the influence that can actually reflect the results of the hearing should be secured. Above all, it can be seen that the qualification verification of candidates requires intensive verification focusing on expertise and understanding of provincial government. The hearing system is also characterized by the higher the issue and interest in candidates for public office, the more focused public opinion is formed on morality rather than expertise.

Sustainable Development of Underutilized Pedestrian Underpass in Seoul

Since the Korean War, Seoul has applied a growth-oriented approach to urban development, resulting in insufficient amount of public spaces. Such lack of public spaces has been addressed partially through private development, which has exacerbated the lack of public domain for the socially disadvantaged groups. Accordingly, local governments have increasingly sought to solve this problem by developing underutilized underpasses. This study analyzes the development of Social Care Type (SCT) underpasses in Seoul and how they meet the characteristics of sustainable development. The study findings reveal that the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s approach to the development of underpasses forms a virtuous cycle where the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) constituting sustainability—social, economic, and environmental factors—forms a feedback-loop relationship. Based on this systemic review of nine case studies of underpass development in Seoul, this article suggests a new paradigm for underpass space development that could be applied in the future by Seoul and other modern cities.

Regionalism from above: intergovernmental relations in Canadian metropolitan governance

Robust metropolitan governance is increasingly viewed as necessary to address important economic, social and environmental problems. In this context, this article surveys recent developments in Canadian metropolitan governance. Canada was admired in the post-war period for the effectiveness of its two-tier and unitary metropolitan governments; however, few survive today as urbanisation patterns have become increasingly polycentric and intergovernmental relations more conflictual. Three models have emerged in Canada, sometimes in combination with one another: the multi-purpose regional intergovernmental organisation, the single-purpose metropolitan agency, and the provincial metropolitan policy overlay. Examples of each are discussed, with an emphasis on the interplay of horizontal (intermunicipal) and vertical (provincial–municipal) intergovernmental relations. Ultimately, provincial governments are by virtue of their constitutional authority and spending power the only actors capable of establishing and maintaining durable institutions and policies of metropolitan scope, and they have chosen to do so in Canada’s largest and most urbanised provinces.

Investigating Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) Service for the Disabled through Survival Analysis

The importance of Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) has increased as it guarantees the right to travel and improves mobility for special population groups such as disabled people and low income households. In order for DRT to become a sustainable means of transportation, it is necessary to keep the quality of DRT service above a certain level that might be expected by users, and thus DRT service needs to be provided evenly over time and space. This study aims to investigate the spatiotemporal characteristics of DRT service based on waiting time in terms of service equity. For the analysis, operating data of DRT for people with disabilities provided from the Seoul Metropolitan Government were used and a survival analysis was employed to derive median waiting time. The results showed that there exists a difference in median waiting time over time and space, indicating that DRT service for disabled is not evenly provided over time and space. The results of using a heat map and Kernel density plot with median waiting time also confirmed that the spatiotemporal imbalances of DRT service exist throughout Seoul. One of the major reasons for this phenomenon might be the uneven spatiotemporal distribution of supply as expected.

How did the Tokyo Metropolitan Government respond to COVID-19?

Tokyo Metropolitan Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world. While cities around the world are struggling to cope with COVID-19, the number of new positives and deaths in Tokyo has so far been relatively contained compared to other large metropolitan areas. In Japan, infection control measures do not prohibit people from moving around during a COVID-19 outbreak. However, people are not only refraining from travel and social activities at the request of the government, but are also using their own judgment to avoid risk based on information about the infectious disease. This plays an extremely important role in Japans infection control measures. Expectations are high in Japan for maintaining the health care system and minimizing deaths. It is necessary to steadily respond to these expectations while normalizing social functions.

Reporting on the implementation to set up a "care and isolation facility" for mild COVID-19 cases in Tokyo.

The increasing number of COVID-19 cases has placed pressure on medical facilities. Against this backdrop, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government established a facility for mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases by using existing hotels. These kinds of facilities were established in several countries, and represented a spectrum from hotel-like to hospital-like care. In this article, we focused on implementation and related strategies for establishing such a facility in Tokyo as implementation research, while ensuring patient and staff safety. This facility had three functions: care, isolation, and buffering. For the implementation strategy, we used several strategies from the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) to implement functions similar to an ordinary hospital, but using fewer inputs. This experience can be applied to other resource-limited settings such as that in less developed countries.

Towards political cohesion in metropolitan areas. An overview of governance models

As cities grew beyond their administrative borders, the demand for metropolitan governance appeared. The last 50 years proved that there is no one, universal model of metropolitan governance as urban regions are very different all around the world. However, it seems quite obvious that if metropoles are to be the forefront of development, they need to provide a widely defined cohesion within their subordinate territories. Metropolitan political cohesion may be defined as a collaborative public governance which offers tailored managerial solutions for enhancing development based on the subsidiarity principle and the place‐based approach. Drawing on the lessons from major cities in North America and Europe: Copenhagen, Rotterdam, Stockholm, Hannover, London, Wrocław and Toronto the paper intends to dive into a few, selected cases of metropolitan government and the causes behind their failure and reappearance. How have various governments met the cardinal question of metropoles: to provide a resilient match between the functional urban region and the administrative structure? The answer to this question is not straightforward. Metropolitan authorities all over the world manage exceptionally complex systems, where the diversity of actors, complexity of relations and interdependences across an extended, fragmented and dynamic metropolitan region restrain governability. However some general trends in metropolitan governance may be outlined, regarding the recent history, main types of governance and legitimacy of metropolitan administration.

서울시 준공업지역의 산업집적이 지역경제성장에 미치는 영향

From an economic point of view, urban industry is the foundation of urban growth, and many local governments are trying to maintain urban industry as the decline of urban industry leads to urban decline. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has made various industrial policies centered on quasi-industrial areas where industrial sites can be located, but the demand for lifting them is increasing due to housing supply, public housing, and industrial leakage. Therefore, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has maintained the semi-industrial zone through the total number of semi-industrial zones, but the discussion on the effectiveness of the discussion has yet to be confirmed. Therefore, this study compares the industrial structure and characteristics of semi-industrial zones, and presents suggestions for industrial development and management policies that match the characteristics of semi-industrial zones.

A Search for a Promotional Plan for Tourism Safety for Revitalization of Tourism for the Post COVID-19 Era - Focusing on the Seoul Metropolitan Government -

이 연구에서는 선행연구의 분석과 각종 공식, 비공식 통계 및 관련 법 &#8228; 제도의 검토를 통해 관광안전을 위협하는 다양한 위협요인에 대하여 분석하고 이를 억제할 수 있는 정책적 방안을 제시하고자 하였다. 특히, 포스트 코로나 19시대에는 억눌렸던 여행 수요가 폭발적으로 늘어날 것으로 전망되므로 관광객 보호 및 관광지 범죄예방, 각종 불법 및 무질서행위 억제 등 관광치안서비스 제공을 위한 관계기관별 역할 확대방안을 모색하고자 하였다. 연구결과, 포스트 코로나 19시대의 관광 수요를 예측하는 다수의 분석결과를 종합하면 국내 거주 내국인의 국내 여행은 물론 외국인 관광객의 입국 역시 크게 증가할 것으로 예상되고 있다. 그러므로 포스트 코로나 19시대에 국가적 차원은 물론 서울특별시 등 각 지방자치단체의 관광안전을 확보하기 위해서는 먼저, 관광안전 매뉴얼을 개발하고 관광안전 전담조직을 신설하는 등 관광안전 확보를 위한 제도적 개선이 필요할 것으로 보인다. 그리고 서울시 자치경찰위원회 등 각 시도자치경찰위원회의 중점 추진 사무에 관광안전 사무를 포함시켜 관련 정책을 적극 추진하도록 하고, 관광경찰센터 확대를 통해 통합적 관광안전 서비스를 제공해야 한다. 이와 동시에 서울시 관광부서와 자치경찰의 합동 단속, 자치경찰과의 연계를 통한 수요 지향적 관광안전 활동 전개, 서울시-관광경찰-민간의 공조체계를 통한 관광산업 사업자에 대한 점검활동 강화 등 서울시 관광안전 담당 조직과 서울시 자치경찰과의 유기적 협력체계가 구축되어야 한다. 또한 특별사법경찰의 지위를 가진 민생사법경찰단의 역할확대를 통해 민생사법경찰단이 관광안전 분야의 단속과 수사권한을 확보하도록 하고, 조직 및 인력을 확대하여 관광안전에 대한 전문적 활동역량을 가진 조직으로 거듭나도록 지원해야 할 것이다.

Communication problems and alternatives in the process of collecting resident opinions for environmental impact assessment through text mining: A case study of the Dangjin landfill in Korea

Do even projects that have already collected residents' opinions as a part of their environmental impact assessment (EIA) processes face opposition from residents later? Previous studies have noted that the public participation process of EIA is regarded as a mere formality, and that its effectiveness in reflecting residents' opinions remains unclear. Nevertheless, research on the public participation process is lacking. It should be supplemented with sufficient communication and address the potential of achieving this through policy application. This study aimed to identify the problems with, and alternatives to, the current process of collecting resident opinions during EIA by analyzing the case of the Dangjin landfill project in Korea, which was opposed by residents despite their having participated in the assessment. According to the analysis results, the contents of the conversations were divided into two categories: establishment of reduction measures and environmental impact surveys. Most resident opinions were related to the establishment of reduction measures (71.70%), followed by those related to the local (65.20%), metropolitan (63.32%), and central governments (62.96%). However, the change between the preliminary small-scale review (52.29%) and third-round decision review (58.06%) was not significant. In terms of high-frequency words, the first preliminary review and third-round decision by the Ministry of Environment were similar, but both greatly differed from the second-round resident opinions. These results indicate that although residents had many questions regarding measures for reducing environmental pollution, the preliminary small-scale review and third-round decision phases only involved discussions on conducting environmental impact surveys. The contents of the conversations pertained to the residents requesting long-term, wide-ranging, and realistic health-related alternatives; however, the responses were highly technical, and the discussions only concerned performing procedural environmental impact surveys. Additionally, the use of different content and language perspectives hindered communication. It was also difficult to confirm whether the residents' opinions were reflected. These results suggest the need for the use of more relatable and comprehensible language by experts during the public participation process, and that a mutually understandable language perspective through multilateral participation should be the foundation for policy application.

History of Seoul’s Parks and Green Space Policies: Focusing on Policy Changes in Urban Development

Globally, urban areas have been expanding rapidly since industrialization. In South Korea, urban policy has evolved according to urban development, but the change in parks and green spaces policy for a pleasant urban environment is insignificant. The purpose of this study is to present the direction of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s parks and green spaces policy in terms of green infrastructure, by examining urban policies and changes in the parks and green spaces policy of the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The research method established the concepts of urbanization, green park areas, and green infrastructure, focusing on a literature review. The trends in urban development in South Korea and abroad, the correlation between urban development and green park areas, and changes in the parks and green spaces policy of Seoul are examined. The study found that urbanization in South Korea has augmented since 1960, and the parks and green spaces policy has also focused on quantitative expansion. As the era of local autonomy passed, there were remarkable policy changes tailored to citizens’ needs, and major policy directions were determined according to the political inclinations of policymakers. The era of low growth adopted the policy of introducing green park areas as green infrastructure to solve urban environmental problems, and parks and green spaces policies as strategic plans to re-naturalize smart green cities and urban infrastructure, and to increase urban resilience using advanced technology. Future research is expected regarding consistent policy implementation measures linked to the state-regions, such as analyzing citizens’ perceptions of policies to solve urban problems and taking practical measures for the implementation of parks and green spaces policies to expand green infrastructure. The implication of the study is that the green infrastructure strategy is important as a solution to urban environmental issues such as climate change. Therefore, there should be a will of policymakers and strong institutional support for continuous policy promotion.