Urban streams once buried under concrete to make way for roads and parking lots are breathing again. What began with Seoul's Cheonggyecheon restoration has spread nationwide, evolving beyond simple waterfront spaces into "blue-green networks" that address climate change, while serving as urban platforms that link old downtown revitalization with private-sector development.
According to local governments surveyed on Monday, large-scale stream restoration projects are being pursued primarily by metropolitan governments including Busan and Ulsan. Busan stands out the most. Dongcheon, a stream once so polluted it was nicknamed "Ttongcheon" (literally "sewage stream"), is set to be reborn as an urban economic belt integrating ecology, culture and industry through the "Return of a Century" project that utilizes underground freshwater.
The project will be carried out in phases through 2032, centering on six hubs including Busan Citizens Park, Bujeon Station, the International Finance Center and the Munhyeon Financial Complex. Busan city plans to introduce waterfront cultural spaces, nighttime lighting, water leisure programs and other amenities to develop the stream into a "second Cheonggyecheon" and a new tourism and commercial hub in downtown Busan.
