The “1st New Towns Integrated Transportation Forum” was held at the Korea Press Center on the 5th, where a consensus was reached on the necessity of expanding metropolitan transportation if the redevelopment projects of the first-generation new towns proceed, leading to increased traffic demand. However, funding is a significant issue, as local governments and residents face limitations and require government financial support.
Kim Jung-geun, the head of the Urban Regeneration and Maintenance Research Center at the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements, stated that areas over 1 million square meters that are older than 20 years are defined as outdated planned cities. These areas need accompanying metropolitan transportation improvement plans as they are refurbished. Despite this, such plans were not included in the proposed leading districts announced last November.
Kim highlighted that the redevelopment plans and metropolitan transportation facility projects are laid out, but these are missing in recently approved areas, necessitating central and local government collaboration. He emphasized that such elements should be incorporated into regions like Busan and Daejeon this year.
The process of setting up outdated planned cities should start with reviewing the capacity of basic infrastructure, followed by setting the planned population and calculating the basic floor area ratio. However, the first step was skipped, and if infrastructure is not adequately improved after setting the floor area ratio, plans to enhance infrastructure should be formulated from the beginning.
According to Park Tae-yoon from the Korea Transport Institute, the redevelopment of the first-generation new towns will lead to a population increase of 330,000 and an average daily traffic increase of 410,000. Specific roads in Bundang and Ilsan were identified as needing priority improvements due to expected congestion from these projects.
Kim noted that Bundang, surrounded like clusters, doesn’t need internal road expansions but faces traffic congestion from external areas. The flow from Gwangju to Bundang is an example that requires addressing from a metropolitan transportation perspective. He asserted that urban traffic should focus on public transport while metropolitan transport requires governmental intervention. Kim concluded that government assistance is essential as the scale of these projects goes beyond what can be addressed by raising floor area ratios and public contributions.
Goyang Special City’s Mayor Lee Dong-hwan mentioned that while the initial development plan for Ilsan anticipated 530,000 residents, the population has reached 1.08 million. Despite transportation expansions like the GTX-A line, redevelopment plans could increase housing by 30-40%, necessitating further transportation enhancements. However, Goyang City’s fiscal independence at 32.3% means it cannot bear the full responsibility for road costs within its jurisdiction, highlighting a need for governmental support which currently only assists metropolitan areas.
Jo Eung-rae from Seoul National University suggested using public contributions, metropolitan transportation facility fees, and the traffic impact assessment system as ways to secure funding for metropolitan transport projects, noting the need for financial strategies that align with project timelines and stages.