[Future of Parks ⑭] "Connecting the City into an Ecological Network"... Insights from a Seoul Urban Park Committee Member

Interview with Eunsil Seo, Member of the Seoul City Urban Park Committee
Contributions to Major Park Developments and Creation of Barrier-Free Parks
"Utilize Rivers and Parks... Increase Biodiversity"

Eunsil Seo, member of the Seoul City Urban Park Committee and Vice President of Sunjin Engineering, is giving an interview at Seoul City Hall on the 5th. Photo by Dongju Yoon

The Seoul City Urban Park Committee is a key deliberative body that determines the future of parks and green spaces in the city. The location, scale, function, and scenery of parks—elements directly linked to citizens' daily lives—are adjusted through this committee. Eunshil Seo, Vice President of Seonjin Engineering and currently serving her third year as a member of the committee, emphasized in an interview with The Asia Business Daily, "Parks are not just simple green spaces; they are public infrastructure that connects citizens' daily routines with the city's ecosystem."

After graduating from the Department of Landscape Architecture at Kyungpook National University in 1988, Seo built her career at Seonjin Engineering, where she has led numerous major park and green space projects for both Seoul City and the national government. She gained hands-on experience in the landscaping and environmental sectors through landmark projects such as Peace Park in Sangam-dong, the renovation of Boramae Park, and the creation of barrier-free parks along the Han River. In particular, she contributed as an advisory committee member to the process of devising Seoul's first "barrier-free park" guidelines, helping to institutionalize accessibility in public spaces.

She described the role of the Urban Park Committee as "setting the direction so that urban parks and green spaces can properly serve citizens." The committee comprehensively reviews proposed park development plans submitted by the local wards, evaluating factors such as land use plans, circulation systems, facility scale, landscape impact, and user programs. Parks created through contributions arising from redevelopment and reconstruction projects are also major subjects of deliberation. "Because of project profitability, there are many cases where parks are planned on leftover plots. However, for a park to have meaning, it must be truly usable by citizens. The committee's role is to scrutinize locations and functions and propose better directions."

Seo said the most important philosophy in Seoul's park development is "connection." She emphasized, "More important than a single good park is connecting parks and green spaces so that the entire city becomes one ecological network. Parks should not be just points, but need to expand as lines and areas." Seoul is surrounded by the Inner and Outer Four Mountains, as well as the Han River, Jungnangcheon, Anyangcheon and other rich natural corridors. By connecting green corridors within the city, such as the Gyeongui Line Forest Trail, new ecological pathways are formed—enhancing species diversity, citizen mobility, and opportunities for relaxation.

Eunshil Seo, member of the Seoul City Urban Park Committee and Vice President of Seonjin Engineering, is giving an interview at the Sky Observatory of Seoul City Hall on the 5th. Photo by Dongju Yoon

Regarding the rooftop garden initiative promoted by Seoul City, Seo referenced her prior research into the "ventilation corridor" policy of Stuttgart, Germany, which helped mitigate the urban heat island effect and reduce air pollution. She explained, "The key is to channel cool air generated on the city's outskirts into residential areas using rivers and green spaces as paths. Rooftop greening helps alleviate urban heat, reduces fine dust, and provides new public spaces for citizens."

However, she pointed out the considerable challenges in creating rooftop gardens in existing residential buildings due to the need for resident consent and structural limitations. She also expressed her wish, if given the opportunity, to create a rooftop garden based on modular vegetable gardens. "Urban agricultural rooftop gardens can greatly benefit citizens' mental health and community recovery," she said. "The experience of eating plants that you have personally grown is highly meaningful for recovering the sense of nature and productivity that has been lost in urban life."

In conclusion, Seo stated, "As a statutory body, the Urban Park Committee sets the standards to ensure parks function as intended and adjusts policies so that they benefit citizens' lives. I hope that parks and green spaces in Seoul will become more integral and closely connected with people's daily routines."

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