Gyeonggi Province to Create 49 Pocket Parks and School Forests

Gyeonggi Province will create pocket parks in 36 locations across 16 cities and counties, including Yeondae-ri in Ganam-eup, Yeoju City, as well as establish school forests in 13 locations across 12 cities and counties, including Singal Elementary School in Yongin, this year.

Pocket parks are small-scale green resting areas created by planting trees and flowers and installing recreational facilities in unused or underutilized spaces in residential neighborhoods and city centers. The project utilizes spaces where establishing a large-scale park is challenging, allowing residents to relax and access green spaces near their homes or workplaces. Gyeonggi Province plans to plant trees and flowers and install resting facilities tailored to local conditions, using these as community rest areas while improving the urban landscape and expanding green spaces in daily living areas.

School forests are areas created within schools by planting trees and various plants in available spaces, enabling students to interact with nature in their everyday lives. These spaces serve as natural learning environments where students can observe and experience plants, and they also provide rest areas during breaks and lunchtime.

School forest established at Yongi Sin-gal Elementary School

Pocket parks and school forests share the commonality of expanding green spaces not by securing large sites, but by utilizing idle or underused spaces within residential areas and schools. The initiative aims to increase accessibility to green spaces by establishing them in everyday areas frequently used by residents and students, even in small-sized spaces.

Lee Taeseon, head of the Garden Industry Department of Gyeonggi Province, said, "When green spaces are created close to where people live, residents and students can encounter nature more easily in their daily lives," adding, "We will continue to expand green spaces in residential areas that residents can truly experience by transforming available spaces throughout the region into green resting spots."

In addition to pocket parks and school forests, Gyeonggi Province is pursuing various projects tailored to local needs, such as climate-responsive urban forests, street greenways, environmental forests, and urban forest revitalization projects.

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