In this blog post, we’ll examine the concept of new towns in South Korea, their development objectives, advantages and limitations, and the direction new towns should take in the future.
Definition and Purpose of New Towns
Bundang, Ilsan, Pangyo, Gwanggyo, Dongtan, and Songdo are some of South Korea’s most representative new towns. In addition to these, various new town and residential land development projects are currently underway. Major cities like Seoul and Busan, which grew rapidly after the 1970s, did not emerge from a single overarching plan but rather took on a complex form where different urban plans accumulated over time, resulting in distinct characteristics coexisting across different neighborhoods. In contrast, cities developed in recent years are planned and built from the ground up, so most take the form of planned cities—that is, new towns.
A new town refers to a city that was planned and constructed from the outset, rather than one that grew organically. While cities containing large-scale housing complexes are sometimes called new towns, in the strictest sense, a new town refers to a city that possesses not only residential functions but also production, distribution, and consumption functions, thereby achieving a certain level of economic self-sufficiency.
The objectives of developing new towns in Korea can be broadly categorized into several areas. First, to disperse the population and social infrastructure concentrated in Seoul and the Seoul Metropolitan Area. Second, to promote balanced national development by creating new cities not only in the Seoul Metropolitan Area but also in regional areas. Third, in some cases, supporting satellite cities are built alongside industrial complexes or high-tech industrial clusters. Recently, expanding housing supply, establishing regional transportation networks, and strengthening self-sufficiency have also been considered important goals in new city development.
Advantages of New Cities
The greatest advantage of new cities is that, unlike cities that form naturally over a long period of time, they can be developed in a planned and systematic manner from the outset. Urban planners can design an appropriate residential scale based on projected population figures and systematically organize the city’s functions and purposes by efficiently arranging commercial districts, business districts, residential areas, parks, and green spaces.
Many new towns in South Korea are planned around a grid-like road network, resulting in relatively straight roads and smooth traffic flow. Furthermore, by incorporating regional highways, railways, and public transportation networks into the planning phase, connectivity can be enhanced not only within the city but also with surrounding areas. This planned urban structure has the advantage of improving both the convenience of daily life and the city’s aesthetic appeal. For example, while Seoul—which has developed naturally over a long period—presents a complex landscape with a mix of buildings and roads from various eras, planned cities such as Ilsan and Pangyo feature a relatively systematic arrangement of buildings, road systems, and public facilities.
Issues and Directions for Improvement
There are also issues that must be considered in new city development. First is the issue of environmental damage. In the process of developing large areas all at once, terrain is often leveled, mountains are cut down, and the course of rivers is altered; this can have a significant impact on the surrounding natural environment, including ecosystems and groundwater flow. Although efforts are being made during the urban planning stage to secure parks and green spaces and restore ecological corridors, there are cases where securing sufficient green space is limited in South Korea, where efficiency in land use and high population density must be considered simultaneously.
Another issue is the potential loss of a region’s unique character. Traditional cities and buildings of the past have formed a distinct sense of place by reflecting the distinct histories, cultures, and natural environments of each region. However, new towns with uniform designs often fail to adequately reflect these regional characteristics. Overseas, there are numerous examples of cities being developed while preserving the natural environment as much as possible, or of maintaining and restoring existing historic buildings to sustain the city’s identity. In contrast, some new towns in Korea have been criticized for prioritizing convenience and efficiency at the expense of fully preserving the region’s history, culture, and unique landscapes.
The construction of new towns is an important policy tool for alleviating overcrowding in the Seoul metropolitan area, expanding housing supply, and contributing to balanced national development. It also plays a major role in improving residents’ quality of life by systematically establishing living infrastructure. However, future new towns should not merely stop at repeatedly creating identical urban forms.
Even if high population density makes apartment-centered housing inevitable, these cities need to evolve in a way that preserves the unique characteristics of each region and actively incorporates eco-friendly design, carbon-reduction technologies, pedestrian-friendly spaces, and smart city technologies. Balanced urban planning—which considers environmental conservation, local history and culture, and the sense of place alongside modern conveniences—will become increasingly important in the future.
