Recent studies have continued to explore various public green areas and gardens in cities, and in the case of urban gardens, they focus on solving environmental problems and proving social effects in cities. In particular, the old town villages, which...
Recent studies have continued to explore various public green areas and gardens in cities, and in the case of urban gardens, they focus on solving environmental problems and proving social effects in cities. In particular, the old town villages, which have been relatively underdeveloped at the same time as the development of high-density new towns, are deepening in the direction of relative polarization beyond the imbalance caused by population decline and community dissolution. The Urban gardens will be able to play a role in the regeneration and recovery of these old towns. Therefore, research and consideration on various cases are required as an alternative to improving the environment of alleys and restoring community.
Under the above background, this study focused on the role of Life-riendly gardens in revitalizing local communities by creating alley gardens in Sajik 2-dong and Geumcheon-dong, two representative old town areas of Cheongju, through the 「2020 Alley Garden Making Project」. The dictionary definition of ‘Life-friendly’ refers to a type closely related to daily life, and a garden as a daily place that can contribute to improving the quality of life of residents by building physical forms and residents in front of gates, yards, fences, and alleys. In this study, the alley garden in Sajik 2-dong and Geumcheon-dong, which were created through the 「2020 Alley Garden Making Project」 in Cheongju-si, were classified as life-friendly gardens and analyzed.
The Life-friendly garden needs a plan to create a garden that considers the physical characteristics and residents' characteristics of the old town living area. In order to plan reflecting the behavior and needs of residents, residents' participation was drawn up through resident workshops and field training, and basic plans and frameworks for garden creation were prepared. In order to resolve the lack of residents' knowledge and competence in creating a garden, administrative welfare centers, civic groups, expert groups, and residents formed a public-private cooperative governance system together to carry out the project. Afterwards, in order to analyze how to change space and revitalize the community, on-site surveys and interviews with residents were conducted to find out the characteristics of each Life-friendly garden. It can be seen that after the introduction of a life-friendly garden in the old town, chronic living problems in the village such as garbage dumping and parking can be improved. In addition, individual flower beds, which are located in the old town, which quantitatively lack green areas, expand to continuous linear green spaces or area green areas, and life-friendly gardens with a sense of unity in urban spaces can be recognized and functioned as continuous public green spaces. The Life-friendly garden can be a small culture about the village along with the practical attitude of the residents. As such, the Life-friendly garden is meaningful as a new type of the village garden.
In order to revitalize the local community, it is important to introduce garden programs and facilities that take into account the environment and characteristics of the village. The Life-friendly garden has a very deep relationship between the conditions of the settlement environment and the capabilities of residents, and social consensus is needed for continuous maintenance. The importance of the resident participation process is revealed, especially in terms of continuous management and utilization after the project. Residents directly participate in the entire project process, increasing their understanding of the project and developing attachment and interest in the village. It has the meaning of the role and participation of residents as a practical subject of resident-led village creation and village garden management. In addition, in order for a Life-friendly garden to play a role in social aspects such as revitalizing residents' lives and local communities, continuous interest and institutional support must be supported.