The population of Busan has been on a steady decline since the mid-1990s. Despite this demographic trend, construction permits for large-scale apartment complexes continue to be issued annually by the Busan Metropolitan Government. Facing population d...
The population of Busan has been on a steady decline since the mid-1990s. Despite this demographic trend, construction permits for large-scale apartment complexes continue to be issued annually by the Busan Metropolitan Government. Facing population decline and the onset of a super-aged society, a shift in housing policy is required to induce residential environments suitable for these changes. Against this backdrop, this study aims to establish basic data that can serve as a reference for future housing policies in Busan. The temporal scope of this study ranges from the 1960s, when apartment complexes were first introduced to Busan, to 2005. The spatial scope covers "apartment complexes with 30 or more households" located across the 16 districts (Gu/Gun) of Busan. The study analyzes the characteristics of growth, locational environment, number of buildings, building height (stories), number of households, and characteristics relative to population size by period and region. Based on this data, the study derives development patterns by comparing and synthesizing the distribution characteristics of apartment complexes in each region.
The results of the study are summarized as follows: First, the diffusion process of apartment complexes in Busan aligns with the expansion and structural changes of the urban space, exhibiting characteristics across five distinct stages: 1) The 1960s (Genesis Stage): Characterized by public-led relief housing, such as "Civic Apartments," aimed at improving substandard shantytowns formed by refugees on hillsides. 2) The 1970s (Diffusion Stage): Private sector participation began.
"Market-Apartments" (mixed-use residential-commercial buildings) emerged in downtown station influence areas, enhancing land use efficiency. 3) The 1980s (Quantitative Expansion Stage): Apartment complexes spread throughout Busan, and large-scale land development in the outskirts began in earnest, establishing apartments as a universal housing type. 4) The 1990s (Qualitative & Quantitative Growth Stage): Under the government's "Two Million Housing Units" policy, large-scale new towns (e.g., Haeundae, Hwamyung) were developed. This period saw simultaneous quantitative growth and qualitative improvement through high-rise and large-scale complex trends. 5) The 2000s (CBD Diffusion & Sophistication Stage): A phenomenon of returning to the city center occurred through reconstruction and redevelopment. Qualitative sophistication was achieved, emphasizing intangible values such as brand identity and view rights.
Second, regional supply patterns exhibit a dual structure: "decline and small-scale regeneration of the old city center" versus "large-scale planned development of new towns." In the old city center (e.g., Jung-gu, Dong-gu), supply dropped sharply in the mid-1980s due to the exhaustion of available land, and only resumed in the 2000s in the form of small-scale spot development replacing existing housing. In contrast, new town areas (e.g., Haeundae-gu, Buk-gu) saw explosive supply through large-scale reclamation and land development in the 1990s, causing Busan’s residential axis to shift toward the outskirts.
Third, the analysis of physical scale (number of buildings and stories) confirms a "polarization of development density" depending on location conditions. Due to narrow plots, the old city center was dominated by high-density vertical
development focusing on "single-building apartments." In contrast, new towns realized planned high-density development, securing both horizontal scale and vertical height due to a high ratio of large-scale complexes. Regarding building height, while low-rise housing (5 stories or less) formed a broad base, super high-rise mixed-use complexes (21 stories or more) emerged after the 2000s, leading changes in the skyline.Fourth, since the 2000s, the criteria for housing selection have shifted from "survival and convenience" to "quality of life." While transport convenience and accessibility to commercial facilities were paramount in the past, factors such as ocean views, green spaces, and brand value emerged as key variables determining housing prices and preferences after the 2000s. This led to design evolution, such as a shift in building typology from uniform plate-types to tower-types that consider views and natural lighting, as well as diversified complex layouts.
In conclusion, the current state of apartment complexes in Busan is the result of the complex interaction of periodic urban policies, economic growth, and topographical characteristics. The city faces divergent challenges: the regeneration of aging small-scale complexes in the old city center, versus the performance improvement (remodeling) of large-scale complexes in new towns supplied intensively in the 1990s. Therefore, future housing policies in Busan must adopt a customized approach that differentiates between support for small-scale maintenance projects in the old city center and planned management schemes for new towns. Furthermore, these policies must be established based on population planning that reflects the characteristics of population decline to prepare for the future.