🌆CASE STUDY - Cheonggyecheon

Question 1

Where is Cheonggyecheon?

Answer 1

Seoul, South Korea

Question 2

Since when has the river flowed through the city?

Answer 2

1300s

Question 3

When was the river covered?

Answer 3

The 1960s

Question 4

Why was the river covered?

Answer 4

To build a road above it as Seoul rapidly developed

Question 5

What was the aim of the project?

Answer 5

To improve air quality, urban drainage, reduce traffic and increase the number of residents commuting on foot

Question 6

How long did the removal of the road take?

Answer 6

2 years

Question 7

How much did the removal of the road cost?

Answer 7

£200 million

Question 8

When did the government decide to return the river to an open stream?

Answer 8

2002

Question 9

Why did the government decide to return the river to an open stream?

Answer 9

Due to build up of traffic in the city and poor air quality

Question 10

What was done to the river banks?

Answer 10

They were vegetated

Question 11

What was the wider plan for the ‘Seoul forest’?

Answer 11

To create a green corridor so that wildlife could move freely without having to cross roads

Question 12

How were the local community engaged in the project?

Answer 12

Through events and community projects

Question 13

Where is water used from the create a constant flow of water?

Answer 13

The Han river, groundwater and purified water from sewerage treatment

Question 14

Does the project impact urban drainage positively or negatively?

Answer 14

Perhaps negatively, as water is pumped in from elsewhere

Question 15

How much has traffic reduced by?

Answer 15

2.3%

Question 16

How much as use of the subway risen by?

Answer 16

4.3%

Question 17

What was conserved and re-positioned?

Answer 17

Historic sites and bridges

Question 18

Why has the project been criticised?

Answer 18

Because the pumping of water is costly, and the concrete bed makes water purification by animals difficult, as well as increases in Algae

Question 19

How much has algae increased by year on year?

Answer 19

30%

Question 20

What happened to the Cheonggycheon river 200 years ago?

Answer 20

Channelised and widened

Question 21

What happened to the Cheonggycheon river 40 years ago?

Answer 21

. Piped and covered by road
. Increased air pollution in the city as more cars
. Made it difficult to repair the pipes as they were below ground

Question 22

How was the river restored?

Answer 22

. Removed the roads over 2 years
. Created bridges over the new river channel
. Bus lanes added

Question 23

How much did the restoration project cost?

Answer 23

380 billion Won

Question 24

How many skilled workers were employed during the restoration project?

Answer 24

700,000

Question 25

How far did the project span?

Answer 25

5.8 km

Question 26

How many bridges were installed? How many were pedestrian? What did the bridges improve?

Answer 26

22 bridges 12 pedestrian Improved the movement between the north and south of the city

Question 27

How have cars been discouraged?

Answer 27

. Rapid bus lanes increased bus usage by 15% . Increase in pedestrian friendly areas

Question 28

Why did local businesses initially resist the renovation project?

Answer 28

Taught it would threaten their livelihoods

Question 29

How were the issues of local businesses addressed?

Answer 29

. 4,000 debate meetings held . Extra parking provided- maintain customers . Provided grants for businesses

Question 30

Why were transportation experts concerned about the highway removal?

Answer 30

Thought it would increase congestion as the highway carried 169,000 vehicles a day

Question 31

How did citizens actively contribute to the project?

Answer 31

Participating in competitions and festivals

Question 32

Successes: What does the river provide for Seoul residents?

Answer 32

. A place of rest and relaxation . Improves their quality of life

Question 33

Successes: How many tourists have visited in the 10 years after the restoration?

Answer 33

190 million

Question 34

Successes: Why has the road removal been good?

Answer 34

. Reduces urban air pollution . More now walk or get the bus

Question 35

Successes: How many events have been held in the 10 years since the restoration? What makes the events even better?

Answer 35

. Nearly 30,000 . They are free- accessible for all

Question 36

Successes: By how much have city temperatures reduced?

Answer 36

. 2.5C . Air flows freely along the stream creating a cooling wind

Question 37

Successes: What will the project focus on in the next 50 years?

Answer 37

Improving ecology

Question 38

Successes: Where has the Cheonggycheon Museum been built?

Answer 38

. On the embankment . Shows the areas history and reconstruction- tourist attraction plus has historical significance for residents

Question 39

Failures: How much does it cost to run each year?

Answer 39

$6.5 million

Question 40

Failures: Where does most of the water in the river come from? How much each day?

Answer 40

. Hangang River . 120,000 tons each day

Question 41

Failures: How much have speeds slowed in the CBD due to increased congestion?

Answer 41

12.3%

Question 42

Failures: Why was some historical significance lost?

Answer 42

Historical bridges were not restored in the same location, they were moved along the river

Question 43

Failures: Why have Korean residents outside of Seoul missed out?

Answer 43

Large amounts of money invested in Seoul- less for them

Question 44

Failures: Why is it hard for the disabled to access? What has been done to help?

Answer 44

. Irregular surfaces . Poorly lit for visually impaired . Lifts installed at 7 locations, free wheelchairs for those with mobility problems

Question 45

When was Cheonggyecheon restored?

Answer 45

2003-05

Question 46

When was the expressway built and what did it do

Answer 46

1971 - enclosed the river system

Question 47

Originally what was the only input into the river?

Answer 47

Urban drainage system and waste water

Question 48

What was there nothing of at the river before?

Answer 48

No vegetation so no evapotranspiration

Question 49

The project aims (5 aims)

Answer 49

. Bring environmental benefits back to the river . An ecologically sensitive pedestrian corridor which improves the environment . To dismantle the elevated freeway and concrete deck above the stream . Improve the quality of life . Increase business competitiveness and connectivity either side of the river

Question 50

What was the cost of the restoration scheme

Answer 50

$281million

Question 51

What did the restored river maintain a regular flow of

Answer 51

40cm depth

Question 52

What does the middle zone of the project have?

Answer 52

Fountains and waterfalls to increase biological oxygen supply

Question 53

What does the final zone of the project have?

Answer 53

. Stream designed to look overgrown and wild. . At the end the river flows into a wetland conservation area, and the end of the project

Question 54

How many years does the river provide a flood protection for?

Answer 54

200

Question 55

How did biodiversity increase by?

Answer 55

Over 600%

Question 56

How much did the number of plant species increase by?

Answer 56

From 62 to 308

Question 57

How much did the number of fish species increase by?

Answer 57

From 4 to 25

Question 58

Rates of what increased and why?

Answer 58

Evapotranspiration rates increased because of the introduction of plants to the system

Question 59

How much was small particle pollution reduced by?

Answer 59

35%

Question 60

How much to foreign tourists contribute to the scheme through visitor spending?

Answer 60

$2 million

Question 61

Before the restoration what were residents twice as likely to suffer from?

Answer 61

Respiratory disease as those in other parts of the city

Question 62

How much did price of the land increase by?

Answer 62

30-50%

Question 63

By what % did the number of businesses increase by?

Answer 63

3.5%

Question 64

How much did the number of working people increase by?

Answer 64

0.8%

Question 65

How did business owners feel about the project?

Answer 65

Some were not happy

Question 66

Negative

Answer 66

. Uses electricity to artificially pump water - is the electricty clean . Urban drainage is not based on natural urban drainage but by 2050 it will be . Historical bridge moved - not a success culturally