Insadonggil

Date

Redevelopment design/planning: October 1999; The Planting 10-million Trees of Life project: July 1998-June 2002

Location

Asia->South Korea->Seoul (special city)->Seoul

Description

Located in downtown Seoul, the Insadonggil is often called Insadong art and antique district. The district represents the cross road of the old and new Korea. It has many art galleries and shops selling art supplies, antiques, and handicrafts along one main street (Insadong-gil) and many side alleys.
The Insadonggil redevelopment (designed by Korean architect Jin-Ae Kim (Seoul Forum, Co.) included the street structure reformation, street pavement and furniture improvement projects. Stones, symbolizing "timelessness" to Kim, are widely used as the material of various street furniture (stone mortars, flowerpots, banner poles, street lights, fountains, benches, and other landscaping elements).
The Insadonggil has three major plazas where people gather and activities occur: Naminsa-madang (literally means the plaza on the southside of the Insadonggil), Bukinsa-madang (the plaza on the northside of the Insadonggil), and Insa Intersection.
Insadonggil was created as a part of the Planting 10-million Trees of Life (also called Trees of Life Campaign) project. The project was organized by both city and administrative districts of Seoul to achieve six goals: greening neighborhoods, preserving and creating an urban greenbelt, reforesting barren lands and edges of natural parks, enhancing citizen participation, promoting a green maintenance system, and establishing a Green policy. Forty-seven urban outdoor spaces, which include urban parks, ecological parks, pedestrian walkways, gardens, pocket parks, public plazas, and roof gardens were introduced.
Location: From 144 Gwanhun-dong to 74 Insa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea (from Anguk Intersection to Tapgolgongwon)
Developer: Seoul Forum, Inc. & SeoAn
Contributed by Eui-je Lim, PhD.

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