Urban Spatial Implications of Regeneration of SOC Facilities - Focusing on the recycling of elevated roads and elevated rail tracks -

Abstract

(Background and Purpose) As there have been various cases where the facilities, used as the social infrastructures(SOC), such as roads and railways during the era of industrialization, were transformed into public urban park by applying the linear characteristics of the transportation space after their aged conditions gave rise to safety issues or led to their closure, such transformations have been thrust into limelight as the cases of creation of pedestrian-centric urban space of enjoyment for their development effect. These are social infrastructures used for the movement of logistics in the era of industrialization, and have been regenerated as new public space in the cities. This study was intended to determine the underlying basis that led to the regeneration of the social infrastructures, which were established as old physical transportation space of city such as roads and railways, into linear parks. (Methodology) As for the scope of this study, 8 cases were selected, such as Promenade Plantee, Cheonggyecheon, Seoullo 7107, Alaska Way, High Line, Reading Viaduct, Goods Line, and Bloomingdale Trail Park, etc., which were the most typical facilities that had been used as the social facilities, such as elevated roads and elevated railways. Regarding the methodology, this study considered the regional controversies, social discussions, countermeasures, etc., aimed to derive the characteristics and implications of the active recycling of elevated linear structures that had been left unattended in urban space. (Results) Based on the results of this study, it was found that old social infrastructures, began to develop into an issue that the by-products of the former industrialization era had to be recognized as the heritage of the modern industrialization period along with reorganization of economic structure in spatial hierarchy of contemporary city. As it was transformed into a movement reflecting the speed of people, not the speed of trains and automobiles, the concept of the shared space of the citizens and for the citizens made significant contribution to the active subject of 'place creation' and to the formation of public opinion. Finally, the three-dimensional urban promenade with continuously dynamic pedestrian flow, rather than a park contacting the ground within the city, has become a place suitable for creating a new urban park. (Conclusion) The reorganization of industrial structure unavoidably leads to a change in the spatial structure of contemporary cities. Through this study, it was found that recycling of social infrastructure, which had been left unattended due to aging or loss of function, was a new methodology for urban regeneration, reflecting the physical three-dimensional linearity and expanding the shared space for contemporary urban residents. Eventually, it enabled new spatial reintegration in the high-density city, and restructured the space that had excluded walking for the speed of automobiles and railroads into a space for walking.