Crisis of Non-Seoul Metropolitan Areas in South Korea

Dr. Yunmi Park (Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University)

Lecture

South Korea is facing an unprecedented demographic shift marked by rapid aging and declining populations, particularly in rural and provincial cities. This lecture explores how past urban planning approaches failed to anticipate or respond to these trends, often emphasizing growth even in the context of long-term decline. In recent years, however, some municipalities have begun to incorporate “smart decline” strategies—an emerging paradigm in planning that recognizes population loss not as a temporary crisis but as a condition to be actively managed. Drawing on an evaluation of 55 comprehensive plans from depopulating municipalities in Korea, the lecture presents a Decline Strategy Score (DSS) developed using 39 criteria grounded in the international literature. Findings reveal that although some cities like Busan have adopted a more strategic approach, most plans lack concrete actions such as land use adjustment, service downsizing, and vacant housing management. The lecture highlights the need for more adaptive and context-sensitive planning tools, offering lessons for other nations grappling with urban shrinkage.

About the lecturer

Dr. Park is an associate professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Seoul National University. She earned her Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Science from Texas A&M University and has six years of professional planning experience in South Korea, which led her to become a certified planner in both South Korea and the U.S. (American Institute of Certified Planners). Prior to joining Seoul National University, she taught and conducted research at Texas A&M University, Auburn University, and Ewha Womans University.  Her specializations and research interests include smart city planning and policy, urban shrinkage and revitalization, land use planning, and spatial analytics. 

Online event!

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https://fu-berlin.webex.com/weblink/register/r28233300ae4f38561bacd5f1bab11a2f