Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, has officially launched a citizen planning group to directly participate in establishing the "2040 Yangju Urban Master Plan." The initiative aims to actively incorporate residents' opinions into the city's top-level statutory plan that will determine its future.
The city held the appointment ceremony and first meeting for the citizen planning group at the city hall conference room on Wednesday, the city announced Friday. The ceremony was attended by the mayor and other officials, who presented letters of appointment to the 50 newly formed citizen planning group members.
The citizen planning group was recruited through public notice from February 12 to March 3. A total of 50 members were selected, including 19 through open recruitment and 31 recommended by local administrative districts, ensuring regional representation to capture voices from various social groups.
The citizen planning group will operate in four subcommittees: the first subcommittee covering urban planning and transportation; the second covering economy, industry, and tourism; the third covering landscape, environment, disaster prevention, and safety; and the fourth covering culture, education, and welfare. Each subcommittee will reflect specialized expertise and citizen input. Through four meetings in total, the group will generate various ideas about Yangju's vision and development direction for the next 20 years.
The "2040 Yangju Urban Master Plan" is the top-level statutory plan that will set Yangju's spatial structure and development direction for the next 20 years. As it serves as the foundation for urban planning, forming public consensus is essential. The city plans to gather opinions from the citizen planning group, draft a plan, then apply for approval from the Gyeonggi Province Governor through administrative procedures including public hearings, city council consultations, and urban planning committee reviews.
"Yangju will work with the citizen planning group to develop a customized future strategy that reflects citizens' voices in line with changing urban conditions," said Jeong Seung-nam, Director of Yangju's Urban Housing Bureau. "We will establish a foundation for a sustainable city."
