Background
Janghang-eup in Seocheon County is a historic center of Korea's modern industrial heritage, having grown as a major port city with the development of the harbor during the Japanese colonial period. Since the late 19th century, Janghang Port has accommodated thousands of workers, and modern architecture and historical traces remain throughout the city. However, over time, population decline, economic stagnation, and the neglect of aging facilities have caused the vibrant past to fade, creating an urgent need for urban regeneration strategies that rediscover and leverage Janghang's unique historical and cultural assets.
Approach
This workshop was conducted as a participatory process where residents, merchants, and local experts together envisioned Janghang's future, rather than a top-down planning exercise led solely by experts. Over a four-month period from May to August 2022, a series of nine workshops enabled participants to share Janghang's background and objectives, deepen understanding of urban regeneration, discover local resources, and synthesize workshop findings. Through various methods including discussions, site surveys, and exhibitions, community input was systematically gathered, with Janghang's "100-year story" emerging as the core strategic theme guiding regeneration efforts.
📖
Foundation
Understanding and
sharing Janghang's
history and context
🔍
Discovery
Identifying hidden
assets and local
resources
🤝
Engagement
Gathering input from
stakeholders and
building consensus
🎯
Strategy
Developing viable
urban regeneration
initiatives
Through this four-phase approach, we established "the 100-year story" as a core concept grounded in Janghang's modern history, maritime heritage, and local culture, while identifying specific urban regeneration projects. The resulting strategy encompasses multifaceted initiatives including preservation and activation of historical assets, commercial district revitalization, and enhancement of public spaces.
Key Outcomes
Across nine workshop sessions, we successfully achieved the foundational goals of raising public awareness about urban regeneration and establishing local networks. The workshops deepened understanding of Janghang's modern history and cultural heritage, systematically inventoried local resources, and enabled residents, merchants, and professionals to collectively envision Janghang's future. Notably, by conducting workshops in actual locations including historic storefronts, art galleries, and cafes, we ensured grounded, contextual discussions and built strong consensus around culture-centered urban regeneration.
Expected Impact
100+
Community Participants
This workshop report will serve as a foundational resource for the subsequent urban regeneration implementation plan. We expect to achieve community-driven urban regeneration practices, culturally-centered sustainable city activation, creation of Janghang's distinctive brand value, and reversal of population decline through local economic revitalization.
Project Significance
This workshop is significant in that it transcends top-down planning and presents a grassroots, participatory model of urban regeneration. Building on the powerful storytelling of Janghang's 100-year history, we developed multifaceted regeneration strategies encompassing modern heritage preservation, culture and arts hubs, and tourism development. Equally important, by fostering residents' sense of ownership and active participation, we established the foundation for sustainable, community-driven urban regeneration that will extend far beyond this initial phase.
#UrbanRegeneration
#Workshop
#Janghang
#ModernHeritage
#CommunityEngagement
#CulturalRevitalization
#PortCity
#100YearStory
#SeocheonCounty
