Most of local cities in Korea experience the common problems such as population decrease or slowdown of population increase, in particular lowering of urban vitality and decline of downtown functions because of decrease of young population and these t...
Most of local cities in Korea experience the common problems such as population decrease or slowdown of population increase, in particular lowering of urban vitality and decline of downtown functions because of decrease of young population and these trends are more serious in small and medium cities.
Therefore, this study obtains the following results with five cities in Jeollanamdo province through 1) A study on causes of decline of downtown areas from urban views through change of population and housing site development, change of residence and merger and abolition of administrative villages and 2) A study on the causes of decline of downtown areas and its regeneration through using behaviors of downtown areas.
1. The primary reasons in decline of downtown areas in local small and medium cities are steady housing site development at suburban areas through housing site development promotion law in spite of slowdown of population increase and excessive extension of housing site such as change of green belt into housing site through urban planning. Therefore, conversion of conventional urban planning into compact city or new urbanism-based urban planning and regeneration of downtown areas for realizing extensive urban structure and strategic spot are needed. Further, device inhibiting extension of suburban areas is required through development inhibition law of suburban areas or activation law of downtown areas like foreign cities.
2. For the purpose of regeneration of downtown areas as the strategic point of urban integration, security of residential functions of high quality, a variety of information, culture and economic activities and attractive functions playing a role as commodity environment attracting tourists is really needed.
Therefore, this study examines residential environment and consciousness with downtown residents and analyzes using behaviors of downtown areas from the viewpoints of "buying, seeing or listening, eating and spending hours" with residents outside downtown areas and then obtains the following conclusions.
1) Examination of characteristics of residential functions through residential environment evaluation and consciousness of downtown residents.
Population structure of downtown residents shows that there are small young people and many aging people and there are residents living in detached house and city with small population size shows higher aging rate. In the duration of residential houses and the year of residence, over 10 years to under 20 years were most and residential environment to be improved includes poor residential environment, narrow road and lack of parking lot.
In residential environment or economic value of house, opinions showing similar to 5 years ago were most and in particular, residents in detached house considered their residential environment declining and economic value falling.
Therefore, for the purpose of regenerating residential functions of downtown areas, introduction of residential types suitable to modern life style, improvement of residential environment, security of parking lot, extension of road and attractive recovery of educational and cultural environment supporting residential functions are needed.
2) Using behaviors of downtown areas by urban residents
Use of downtown areas was most in once or twice a week, followed by everyday. Those in their twenties used it most, followed by sixties. Purpose of use was most for spending hours (34.9% for leisure), followed by buying (24.8% for purchase), working (15.1%), eating (12.1%), viewing (9.5% for seeing or listening), doing business (9.0% for business). Hours spent in downtown areas were most below 2 hours and amount used was most in 30,000-50,000 won. In use of downtown areas, those who answered satisfaction a little were most and obstacles of using downtown areas include lack of parking lot, narrow road and lack of attraction of downtown areas.
Although downtown areas showed higher satisfaction with their functions, its use can be decreased when evaluation of image was low and for the purpose of regeneration of downtown areas, creation of it to commodity environment through option, comfort, professionalism and security of non-routine is required.