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  [Singapore_The Straits Times] Seoul wins Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize

  등록일 2018-03-20 글쓴이 ssunha

  Seoul wins Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Rahimah Rashith PUBLISHEDMAR 17, 2018, 5:00 AM SGT   South Korean capital honoured for giving up roads and highways for people-centric spaces Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/seoul-wins-lee-kuan-yew-world-city-prize-0 <https://www.leekuanyewworldcityprize.com.sg/>   In the South Korean capital Seoul, highways and main roads have made way for public spaces for the people. At Cheonggyecheon, in downtown Seoul, an elevated highway was removed to restore a stream and create a natural recreational space. And Yonsei-ro, a 550m stretch of road lined with shops was pedestrianised so that visitors can enjoy the space more. Before vehicle access was controlled, roads there were congested and cars crawled at 10kmh. Now cars in Yonsei-ro make way for people to enjoy public performances on its streets. These car-lite moves in "shifting away from car-oriented transportation to people-centric spaces" were among the reasons Seoul was picked as the winner of the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize. The announcement was made at the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) Centre yesterday. Seoul is the fifth recipient, after earlier wins by Medellin in Colombia, Suzhou in China, Bilbao in Spain and New York City in the US. The city beat 28 others to clinch the biennial award by URA and the Centre for Liveable Cities. Hamburg in Germany, Kazan in the Russian Federation, Surabaya in Indonesia and Tokyo in Japan received special mentions for good practices in their city management. The Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize is an international award honouring outstanding achievements in the creation of liveable, vibrant and sustainable urban communities around the world. "Seoul once appeared as a city drowning in problems beyond solutions. Amazingly, strong creative leadership, building on deep citizen engagement and data-driven solutions, managed to turn things around. This mega city now leads the way in delivering inclusive, dynamic and forward-looking urban solutions. "It is a truly worthy recipient of the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize," said the nominating committee's chairman, Professor Kishore Mahbubani. Seoul overcame challenges such as rapid urbanisation and the task of providing for a booming car-based society by introducing projects that repurposed urban infrastructure and engaging citizen participation in day-to-day operations. Crediting Seoul's citizens for the win, Mayor Park Won Soon said: "I believe that this award is a recognition of the citizens of Seoul's retrospection of the past and insight into the future in order to make Seoul a 'meta-polis'." The Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize comprises an award certificate, a gold medallion and a cash prize of $300,000, sponsored by Keppel Corporation. It is a highlight of the upcoming World Cities Summit, which will be held at Marina Bay Sands from July 8 to 12. A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 17, 2018, with the headline 'Seoul wins Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize'. Print Edition | Subscribe Related to this article more:   Seoul wins Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize 2018 https://www.opengovasia.com/articles/seoul-wins-lee-kuan-yew-world-city-prize-2018   Seoul clinches Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize honouring urban initiatives https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/seoul-clinches-lee-kuan-yew-world-city-prize-10049890 Seoul, South Korea conferred Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize 2018 https://www.ura.gov.sg/Corporate/Media-Room/Media-Releases/pr18-14 Seoul clinches Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize honouring urban initiatives http://www.intellasia.net/seoul-clinches-lee-kuan-yew-world-city-prize-honouring-urban-initiatives-656860 Kreatif dan Inovatif, Surabaya Raih Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize 2018 https://regional.kompas.com/read/2018/03/18/20342521/kreatif-dan-inovatif-surabaya-raih-lee-kuan-yew-world-city-prize-2018. 

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  Seoul Awarded Best MICE City for Fourth Consecutive Year

  등록일 2018-12-27 글쓴이 seoulsolution

  Seoul Awarded Best MICE City for Fourth Consecutive Year 12/19/2018   Seoul city was selected as the “Best MICE City” for four consecutive years since 2015 at the 2018 15th Annual Global Traveler Tested Reader Survey Awards, hosted by the top business tourism specialist, Global Traveler. Dubai, Singapore, London, and Hong Kong followed close behind. Celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, the Global Traveler Tested Awards selected its winners through both online and offline surveys conducted over a period of eight months from January to August, 2018, targeting business travelers, related businesspersons, and its 105,000 readers. ※ Previous “Best MICE City” award recipients Best MICE City List Year 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 City Abu Dhabi Seoul Singapore Seoul Seoul Seoul Seoul Seoul was awarded for its well-equipped infrastructure, including a convenient, built-in IT environment, public transportation, and accommodations, in addition to its polished culture in which tradition and up-to-date trends coexist, amid the characteristic charm of the city. http://english.seoul.go.kr/seoul-awarded-best-mice-city-for-fourth-consecutive-year/?cat=29

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  Mayor Park Won-soon Heads to Beijing to Bolster Cooperative Partnerships

  등록일 2018-12-27 글쓴이 seoulsolution

  Mayor Park Won-soon Heads to Beijing to Bolster Cooperative Partnerships 11/29/2018   Mayor Park Won-soon will be visiting Beijing, China, for four days and three nights, from November 25-28, making it his first visit since his 2015 tour to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Seoul looks to fortify cooperative relations between Seoul and Beijing in light of the 25th anniversary of the two cities’ signing of the Sister Cities Agreement and the Korea-China Growth Conference for Governors and Mayors, held on a biannual basis. Mayor Park Won-soon will supervise the Korea-China Growth Conference for Governors and Mayors where the two countries’ metropolitan council heads will gather in Beijing and speak with Premier Li Keqiang of China. The core agenda of this Beijing visit are lies in environmental cooperation, economic cooperation, and youth exchange. First, at the 2nd Korea-China Growth Conference for Governors and Mayors, the topic of environmental cooperation will be taken up by the heads of both local governments to discuss practical matters regarding the bolstering of cooperative partnerships in terms of improving the air quality. Seoul will hold a Climate and Environment Cooperation Forum with Beijing to create a center of the political exchange of urban environmental policy teams. Second, in regard to economic cooperation, large enterprises will accompany promising, SMEs and start-ups to help revitalize Chinese investments. The Seoul China Investment Week, from November 28-29, will be co-hosted with Bank of China to offer comprehensive support for varied business opportunities among domestic enterprises. Third, Mayor Park is set to be the first Seoul mayor to give a lecture at China’s prestigious Peking University, meet with China’s future leaders, and visit Z-InnoWay, China’s hub for entrepreneurship. http://english.seoul.go.kr/mayor-park-won-soon-heads-to-beijing-to-bolster-cooperative-partnerships/?cp=2&cat=29

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  Seoullo 7017 Branches Out into Neighborhoods with 7 Walkways

  등록일 2018-12-27 글쓴이 seoulsolution

  Seoullo 7017 Branches Out into Neighborhoods with 7 Walkways 09/27/2018 The Seoul Metropolitan Government will build seven new pedestrian paths from Seoullo 7017 branching out into neighboring urban regeneration areas, including Seogye-dong, Jungnim-dong, Hoehyeon-dong, Huam-dong, and Seosomun-dong. Seoullo 7017, in its initial phase, was designed to convert an old highway overpass into a walkway in order to connect the eastern and western areas of Seoul Station. This second phase of the project is meant to promote the positive effects of urban regeneration and the vitality of local economies toward neighborhoods. The project essentially seeks to connect severed roads with greenery while incorporating diversified business models, taking into account the varied conditional and environmental factors. Some activities include the remodeling to better connect buildings, creating greener alleyways, increasing the number of backstreet cafés, and extending walkways. Descriptions of the seven new walkways comprised of Jungnim 1-gil, Jungnim 2-gil, Seogye 1-gil, Seogye 2-gil, Huam 1-gil, Huam 2-gil, and Hoehyeon 1&2-gil, are provided below: Jungnim 1-gil (≈ 810m): From Yakhyeon Catholic Church to Chungjeongno Station, there are many antique houses and alleyways, demonstrating this area’s potential to become historically and culturally distinctive in the urban center of Seoul. Jungnim 2-gil (≈ 790m): Passing through relatively large apartment buildings, this woodland path leads to Chungjeongno Station. Seogye 1-gil (≈ 780m): Across narrow streets, vintage homes, and traditional Korean housing, the road leads from Malli Market to Hyochang Park. Along the way, you can catch a glimpse of the historical sewing culture in the Seoul station vicinity. Seogye 2-gil (≈ 1,100m): Stretching from Cheongpa Children’s Park, the National Theater Company of Korea, and Cheongpa Hill, this area has a variety of historical and cultural uniqueness, featuring old sewing factories, beaten paths, Japanese-style housing, and more. Huam 1-gil (≈ 1,300m): This walkway runs toward Yangdong Park and Huam Market behind Seoul Square, capturing the historical flow of time over the years. Huam 2-gil (≈ 1,400m): From varied paths, inclusive of Seoullo and Sowol-ro City Wall, this road leads all the way to Namsan Mountain. The walkway is too steep to be suitable for walking, so it is in need of some road maintenance and improvement. Hoehyeon 1&2-gil (≈ 1,400m): With plenty of modern and contemporary architectures, such as Hoehyeon Post Office, incorporated with colonial Japanese-style housing, visitors can take in the unique atmosphere fused together with the area’s resplendent history and culture. The seven designated architects, in particular, will respectively orchestrate each of the seven walkways to be built, an unprecedented move in the city of Seoul. Every vital resource, including alleyways, buildings, landmarks, and public open spaces, will be taken into account as the seven architects establish a general master plan for entire project. They are also responsible for long-term sustainable preservation through constant communication and mutual consultation together with local residents, public institutions, and pertinent filed specialists. http://english.seoul.go.kr/seoullo-7017-branches-out-into-neighborhoods-with-7-walkways/?cp=5&cat=29