Gyeongsangnam-do to Create "Central Park" on Changwon Jungang-daero ... Major Transformation of Ten-Lane Road

Gyeongsangnam-do will transform the ten-lane Changwon Jungang-daero into a people- and ecology-centered linear park, named "Central Park."

On the morning of July 29, prior to commissioning the "Changwon Jungang-daero Central Park Development Basic Concept Research Project" scheduled for the second half of this year, Gyeongsangnam-do held a preliminary expert advisory meeting at the Nammyeonggyeongui Room of the Gyeongnam Research Institute.

The view of Jungang Avenue stretching from the Gyeongnam Provincial Government Building to Changwon City Hall Plaza.
[Photo by Gyeongnam Province]

At the advisory meeting, more than 20 experts in urban planning, landscaping, transportation, architecture, and the environment assessed the feasibility of the "Changwon Jungang-daero Central Park Development Project."

They also discussed various actionable plans to transform the core axis of downtown Changwon, which is currently concentrated with administrative, industrial, and commercial functions, into a pedestrian-friendly, green, and cultural-focused hub.

The discussions covered: measures to minimize the traffic impact due to lane reductions; ensuring pedestrian connectivity along the 2.8-kilometer linear park; connecting aquatic and ecological corridors to alleviate the urban heat island effect; and strategies for revitalizing businesses along the roadside.

The "Changwon Jungang-daero Central Park Development Project" is a key pledge of Governor Park Wansu's ninth elected administration. This large-scale spatial innovation project will convert the full 2.8-kilometer, ten-lane roadway stretching from the Provincial Government Office, through Yongji Park and Changwon City Hall Plaza, to the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation Gyeongnam Regional Headquarters, into a people- and ecology-centered linear park.

The provincial government explained the background of the project, noting that Changwon Jungang-daero’s car-centric road system has physically divided residential and commercial areas on both sides of the city center, while also lacking connectivity with downtown infrastructure such as Yongji Lake Park.

The preliminary expert advisory meeting for the "Basic Plan Study for Changwon Jungang-daero Central Park Development" is being held at the Kyungnam Institute. [Photo by Gyeongnam Province]

Through this Central Park initiative, Gyeongsangnam-do plans to apply a "Road Diet" approach to efficiently reduce the excessive lanes and create, in stages, a forested green corridor, a cultural and media complex, and linkages to industrial complexes and local business districts.

The project will be implemented in three phases: Phase 1 covers the section from the Provincial Government Office to Yongji Park; Phase 2 spans from Yongji Park to Changwon City Hall Plaza and Jungang-dong; and Phase 3 stretches from Jungang-dong to the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation Gyeongnam Regional Headquarters.

The provincial authorities will comprehensively review the experts' proposals from the meeting, incorporate them into the terms of reference for the basic concept research project, and plan to commission the study in August.

Kim Bokgon, Director of Urban Policy, stated, "The establishment of Changwon Jungang-daero Central Park is more than just park construction; it is a strategic project to restructure this car-oriented industrial city into a future-oriented urban space where residents' lives and culture coexist. From the initial planning stage, we will incorporate feedback from experts in each field to produce the highest quality master plan that can transform the urban spatial structure of Gyeongnam."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.