Curbing Urban Sprawl?—The Evolvement and Influences of the Greenbelt Policy in Seoul

Abstract

Greenbelt policy, as the important measure for managing the urban development in Seoul, plays a vital important role in restraining the rapid population increase and the unlimited urban sprawl of Seoul. Based on the elaboration of the evolution process of the Greenbelt policy’s “Proposal—Development—Adjustment”, this paper points out that the influences of the Greenbelt policy on the comprehensive benefits brought by urban development is a dynamic process. During the proposal and development stage of 1970 to the late 1980, the Greenbelt policy has been of significance in controlling the rapid population increase and holding back urban sprawl, whose positive benefits to the urban development in Seoul exceed the negative effects. However, along with the fast economic development and the improved living standard, the demands for housing and transportation have been constantly increasing by 1990. In this condition, the previous situation was reversed. Despite the adjustment taken by the government in 1999, the adjusting measures are more like the reply to the residents’ compensation claims from the government, but not taking the impacts of the Greenbelt policy on Seoul into consideration. What’s more, new problems are turning up in carrying out the adjusting measures. This paper puts forward that the Greenbelt policy need further adjusting and be flexible, combining the land protection and urban development harmoniously in line with the idea of “Smart Growth”.