Busan to Create Four Wind Ventilation Forests to Improve Living Environment

As part of its plan to become a leading carbon-neutral City by 2050, Busan Metropolitan City is investing 100 billion won in the Wind Ventilation Forest Creation Project to improve the living environment of its citizens. The new project aims to improve air pollution and reduce urban heat islands by creating wind ventilation corridor forests, urban green spaces, and connected urban forests that promote air circulation. Recently, the promotion of urban forests as wind ventilation corridors (wind ventilation forests) has been gaining traction nationwide as a plan to improve particulate matter and the thermal environment in cities.

From 2019 to 2022, Busan created 25 hectares of Wind Ventilation Forests in 20 locations. From 2023 to 2025, the city will build four more Wind Ventilation Forests, including Sasang Station Cultural Forest, Geoje-ro Wind Forest, Forest of Peace, and Jeonggwan New City Wind Forest. The total area of these new Wind Ventilation Forests will be 10 hectares.

Busan expects the new Wind Ventilation Forests to improve the living environment of citizens by connecting the urban green axis, providing shade, and enhancing the landscape. Moreover, the Wind Ventilation Forests will furnish citizens with rest and cultural spaces.

Lee Geun-hee, Head of the Environmental and Water Policy Office of Busan City, said that the Wind Ventilation Forest is a project selected for the Korea Forest Service's Social Overhead Capital (SOC) Contest for reducing fine dust. The project aims to improve the urban environment by reducing fine dust and urban heat islands. The city will also implement various urban forest creation measures, such as climate-responsive urban forests and child-safe green forests, to achieve its goal of becoming a carbon-neutral city by 2050.

The Busan Metropolitan City's investment in the Wind Ventilation Forest Creation Project is part of its comprehensive efforts to create a forest city and improve the living environment of its citizens. With the promotion of urban forests acting as wind ventilation corridors (wind ventilation forests), Busan is taking a proactive stance in the fight against air pollution and the urban heat island effect.