압축적 개발을 통한 도시재생에 대한 논쟁적 접근: 도시생활환경과 사회적 공평을 중심으로

The problems associated with urban sprawl have long been recognized. Particularly, as its major characteristics of unlimited outward extension of new development, it has evoked a variety of environmental and socioeconomic problems that have led to a threat to urban sustainability. In response to the problems of urban sprawl, compact urban development has been proposed. The main essence of compact urban development consists of high-dense development including the preservation of undeveloped green-field, the mixture of land uses, the provision of efficient urban transport systems, the proximity of various urban functions to increase social and economic interactions, and etc, which promote environmentally friendly urban development and socioeconomically efficient urban form that encourage urban sustainability. The idea of the compact urban development has increasingly been utilized the core strategies for urban regeneration in many cities of the world in recent years. However, it is doubted that the main characteristics of the compact urban development, such as high-density and the mixture of land uses, would promote sustainable urban development. Particularly, the urban regeneration through the compact development tends to concentrate on the redevelopment of the central city areas, which could produce negative effects on urban living environment and social equity. In spite of economic efficiency, the compactness of development on the central city leads to the bustle of city life as the intensity of various urban functions in the limited space, which negatively affects the overall urban living condition. Moreover, the concentration of development potentials on the central city raises real estate and housing price in there that makes difficulties with access to the revitalized central city for lower-income households. As a result, the central city becomes a place for those affluent upper and middle classes who are able to bear the expanse that leads to the gentrification of the central city. Furthermore, as the concentration of redevelopment on the central city, the socioeconomic aspects of inner-city areas have further been depressed due to a lack of financial investment from both public and private bodies. This leads to the polarization between the central city and the inner-city in terms of development potentials, which divides the city into two cities. Overall, it seems that the urban regeneration through the compact development may not be seen as a way of achieving sustainable urban development. The purpose of this study is to examine the validity of the compact urban development, particularly the urban regeneration through the compact development, in terms of its impact on urban living environment and social equity.