A Placemaking proposal Seoul, South Korea

A Call for Specialized Staff

Project Overview
Seoul has been on the rise as a world city as it competes against the likes of New York, London, and Tokyo for the worlds best and most creative talent. It recently ranked above Beijing, Shanghai, and i Singapore in a report that ranked the worlds largest and most influential global cities . In addition, Seoul ii has been recognized by a number of international entities like the United Nations and the International iii Council of Societies of Industrial Design for its innovation and creativity. However, despite the citys resurgence to become one of the worlds leading global cities, its urban iv planning and placemaking initiatives have slacked behind the likes of New York in creating people centric places that are attractive enough to retain older demographic groups as they flee cities for the v suburbs and countryside . The current Mayor, Park Won-soon, is beginning to realize the importance of people-centric places as his vi current policies are geared towards creating more pedestrian-only public spaces . Even though the Mayors vision is bold, one major public space in the heart of Seoul lies heavily underutilized as its design does not provide any opportunities for people to enjoy the space on an everyday basis (i.e: New Yorks Bryant Park is a place where people can socialize and meet new people, vii enjoy a coffee with co-workers, or even read a book ). Because of this design flaw, the space sits unused during peak hours of the day and is only used for major planned events like concerts or festivals. Our proposed project involves a redesign of the existing space that will allow all people to fully enjoy the space 365 days a year, all year round. The benefits of a great public space that people are emotionally bonded to are great in number. They can range anywhere from supporting local economics to improving viii public health and the environment . However, we are in need of a few dedicated individuals who are passionate about making a grassroots change at the community and city level. We are currently in need of the following to help see the project to realization: Community Outreach and Marketing Assistant (Korean mandatory; needs to be based in Seoul) o Assist with community meetings to gain feedback on the proposal and to gain feedback from stakeholders / local community Webmaster / Web Designer (Does not have to be fluent in Korea nor be based in Seoul) o Create and maintain a website whose purpose would be to showcase the project and solicit website visitors for their support and feedback. Translator (Korean mandatory; does not need to be based in Seoul) o Translate current proposal and website materials from English to Korean.

Next Steps
The goal of the project is to engage the local community living and working around the project site to collect their feedback and support (through a documented, petition style method). One of these ways is

by organizing meetings with local businesses and residents to discuss the proposal. The other is to display the proposal publically for all to see on a website where visitors can voice their opinions about it ix (similar to a Brickstarter type of set-up). After engaging the public to collect their thoughts and documented support, the next step would be to pitch the idea to the Seoul government for their consideration. If you might be interested in learning more about the project or the above mentioned positions, please contact Raymond Chetti at raychetti(at)gmail(dot)com.
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A.T. Kearney Global Cities Index (2012) - http://www.atkearney.com/gbpc/global-cities-index/full-report//asset_publisher/yAl1OgZpc1DO/content/2012-global-cities-index/10192 ii UNDP Seoul chief to harness Koreas development story ; The Korea Herald http://view.koreaherald.com/kh/view.php?ud=20120429000325&amp iii World Design Capital Seoul (2010) - http://www.worlddesigncapital.com/world-design-capitals/past-capitalseoul/ iv Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces (Project for Public Spaces). - http://www.pps.org/reference/what_is_placemaking/ v More families in Korea leaving city for suburbs ; GMA News Online http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/257695/pinoyabroad/worldfeatures/more-families-in-korea-leavingcity-for-suburbs vi Seoul streets could become car-free ; the hankyoreh http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/539237.html vii Bryant Park ; Project for Public Spaces - http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=26 viii 10 Benefits of Creating Good Public Spaces ; Project for Public Spaces http://www.pps.org/reference/10benefits/ ix Yes, in My Backyard! Meet Brickstarter, the Kickstarter of Neighborhood Projects ; Wired http://www.wired.com/design/2012/08/brickstarter-for-neighborhood-projects/