사회문제해결디자인의 거버넌스 특성에 관한 연구 - 서울시 사회문제해결디자인을 중심으로

(Background and Purpose) Contemporary society is facing a convergence of structural challenges such as low birthrates and an aging population, climate crisis, post-pandemic mental health issues, regional disparities, and the weakening of communities. These complex social problems are increasingly difficult to address effectively through traditional administrative systems or one-directional policy approaches. In response, design-based approaches for solving social problems—particularly those grounded in collaborative governance—are emerging as a key strategic framework. This study aims to theoretically categorize the governance structures of social problem-solving design and empirically analyze the operation and outcomes of collaborative governance through policy cases in Seoul, thereby laying the groundwork for institutionalization and dissemination of design-based public policies. (Research Method) This study reviews the conceptual framework of social problem-solving design and related domestic and international research through literature analysis, and conducts policy document and content analysis focusing on key materials from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, including the Social Problem-Solving Design Ordinance, the 1st Basic Plan for Social Problem-Solving Design (2021–2023), the 2nd Basic Plan (2024–2026), the implementation manual, and project white papers. Through case-centered analysis, the study categorizes the patterns of governance mechanisms according to the type and context of each problem and systematically examines these using four axes of publicness: public value, public communication, public assets, and public cooperation. (Research Results) The analysis reveals that social problem-solving design operates through a multi-layered, participation-based governance structure that supports diverse functions including problem definition, stakeholder collaboration, policy linkage, and strategy formulation. Based on representative cases in Seoul—such as crime prevention design, dementia prevention design, conflict resolution design, and mental health design—five governance types were identified: problem-solving type, institutional (policy/legal) type, asset-based type, digital-based type, and participatory (co-design) type. These governance types differ in terms of the role of coordinators, the level of citizen and expert involvement, the modes of public-private collaboration, and the ways communities foster shared identity. Particularly, local co-design efforts and network building emerged as key factors for successful implementation. (Conclusion) This study empirically demonstrates that multi-layered governance in social problem-solving design functions effectively in addressing various social problems. It also highlights the need for advanced evaluation frameworks, data-driven diagnostics, and institutionalization of balancing and coordinating mechanisms among governance participants in order to promote policy dissemination. Furthermore, the study calls for practical strategies such as predictive simulation during policy planning, citizen design education, and the establishment of dedicated organizational bodies, suggesting directions for future institutionalization and sustainable policy expansion in this field.