Busan, South Korea – The city of Busan held its “1st 15 Minute City Vision Tour Season 2” event yesterday at the Saha-gu Office Auditorium. The event aimed to identify key projects for the speedy implementation of the 15-minute city concept by increasing community interest and participation. The 15-minute city is an urban planning concept where residents can access essential services and amenities within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from their homes, promoting sustainability, livability, and social cohesion.
Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, Saha-gu district Mayor Lee Gap-jun, Superintendent of Education of Busan Metropolitan City Ha Yun-soo, Members of Parliament Cho Kyoung-tae and Choi Inho, Dong-A University President Lee Hae-woo, and Korea Securities Depository President Lee Sun-ho convened to discuss strategies and plans for Busan’s 15-minute city vision.
The event was particularly significant as an audience of 300 people actively participated in choosing the representative project for the 15-minute city initiative. Busan City Mayor Park Heong-joon emphasized the importance of relationships in creating a 15-minute city, stating that it is “a foundation for a city to become a global hub city, and its core lies in citizen happiness.”
Superintendent Ha Yun-soo presented the School-Centered 15-Minute City Strategy, emphasizing the importance of schools as community hubs. During the second part of the event, a panel discussion and Q&A session took place, where panelists agreed on the necessity of all three policy issues presented for the 15-minute city concept in Saha.
Over 300 audience members voted to select the “Gamcheon Cheonma Village Okcheon Sky Road” as the representative project for the 15-minute Saha initiative. The project aims to improve accessibility and safety for residents of Cheonma Village, a high-altitude area with narrow alleys and steep slopes. The construction of the skyway will not only enhance the area’s tourism potential but also revitalize the local community by transforming the challenging terrain into a space for social interaction, reflecting the core values of the 15-minute city concept.
Similar initiatives have been introduced in other countries, such as France, where Paris has adopted the 15-minute city concept, and the US, where cities like Portland and San Francisco are exploring ways to create more walkable and accessible urban environments.
A Busan City official pledged administrative and financial support for the citizen-proposed Gamcheon Cheonma Village Skyway project, with progress updates expected by year-end.
