Understanding dwelling is the basis for understanding the relationship between humans and nature. In Korea, living spaces centered on apartments have developed to the extent to which the term 'apartment republic' has emerged. This is due to the purpos...
Understanding dwelling is the basis for understanding the relationship between humans and nature. In Korea, living spaces centered on apartments have developed to the extent to which the term 'apartment republic' has emerged. This is due to the purpose of accommodating a large population within a limited urban space and building urban infrastructure at low cost in a short period of time. In Gwangju Metropolitan City, apartments account for 66.2% of all housing types, the second highest after Sejong City. As investment-oriented apartment construction has been booming since 2015, the equation that apartment construction is regional development has become popular. Currently, apartment-centered redevelopment continues.
With the construction of apartments, drastic changes appeared in the urban space of Gwangju, but there is a lack of research on the impact of apartment redevelopment on space and society from a geographical point of view. For this reason, this study aims to explore the landscape changes brought about by the construction of apartments, focusing on Dong-gu, Gwangju, where redevelopment is currently active. First, apartment data are analyzed by time series for the construction history and geographical characteristics of apartments in Gwangju. In particular, the process of increasing the number of distinct apartment complexes is examined through the area for residential use, the number of highest floors in the apartment complex, and the size of the complex. Second, the effect of apartment construction in Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City on the landscape change of the surrounding area is examined. Through changes in vertical landscape(higher-rise residential buildings, changes in views), changes in symbolic landscapes(branding of apartments, changes in consumption landscapes, changes in educational spaces), and changes in mobility-scape.
This study looks at the area studied on three scales. First, at the scale of Gwangju Metropolitan City, the history and geographical characteristics of apartment complex construction were examined, second, a detailed analysis of apartment redevelopment was conducted at the scale of Dong-gu. Third, interviews and field surveys were conducted on the scale of Nammun-ro for in-depth analysis of spatial and social changes.
This study used three research methods. First, various statistical data related to apartments in Gwangju were analyzed. Second, detailed qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with people involved in apartment redevelopment (obtained through snowball sampling). Third, this study was conducted through a field survey, taking photos, observing, and recording while visiting the area around Nammun-ro, Dong-gu.
Looking at the history and geography of apartment redevelopment in Gwangju Metropolitan City, since the first apartment building in Gwangju was built in 1966, apartment construction began in earnest in the 1980s, resulting in an outward expansion of the urban area. From the 1990s, apartments began to diversify and become more luxurious, and since the 2000s, the center of Gwangju's housing culture has moved to apartments. Since the 2010s, the project to redevelop old housing areas in the downtown area and turn them into apartment complexes has been in full swing, which has become a factor that brings disharmony to the urban landscape. Over time, apartments in Gwangju Metropolitan City have become more luxurious by expanding their exclusive area, and high-rises have progressed with the development of construction technology and the increase in economic profits. In addition, the construction of medium-and large-scale complexes has gradually increased from the initial small-scale complex construction. In particular, redevelopment and reconstruction apartments tend to become high-density, high-rise, and large-scale to secure the number of households.
The impact of apartment redevelopment in Dong-gu, Gwangju on the landscape change is as follows. First, there is a change in the vertical landscape caused by the high-rise residential building and the change in the right of view. In particular, Dong-gu shows a clear contrast with the surrounding landscape due to the high-rises of disorderly buildings. High-rise apartments are a way to simultaneously pursue not only the convenience of city life and but also residential life with a view of greenery, and a strategy to satisfy the desire to enjoy privileges in a different location from others. However, high-rise buildings have disadvantages on being vulnerable at fire, cost and technical problems during demolition, and generating large amount of construction waste. In addition, high-rise apartments suddenly made through redevelopment can infringe on the right of local residents and create a sense of intimidation, which means that the right of view changes from the right of everyone to an exclusive right of view that is allowed only to a few.
Second, there is a change in the symbolic landscape that appears as a result of apartment branding, changes in consumption landscape, and changes in educational spaces. First, the brand signboard on the outer wall of the apartment is a symbol of the commercialization of housing, and the division of social classes is deepening according to the branding of the apartment. Dong-gu is an area that was developed as a residential area early, so there is a large social class gap due to apartment redevelopment. The names of apartments in Dong-gu tend to get longer as time goes by, and the words used also change. Recently, apartment brands of conglomerates are included in the names of apartments. Next, the redevelopment of apartment complexes transforms the space of the surrounding area into a consumption space where symbols and images are produced by turning apartments into commodities. The increase in the number of households following the redevelopment of apartments in Dong-gu led to an increase in the number of consumers. As a result, the surrounding consumption landscape is reconstructed into a space suitable for the apartment level as modernization and franchising take place, and small-scale remodeling suitable for the local characteristics of Dong-gu is mainly performed. Lastly, apartment redevelopment brings about improvement in educational space through the payment of school site levies by the association. Elementary schools around redeveloped apartments in Dong-gu have been transformed into new educational spaces through extension and renovation, and the number of students per class has increased. The improved educational space can bring more changes to the landscape by calling for a renewal of the local image.
Third, the mobility-scape becomes complex due to the increase in traffic volume due to the increase in the number of households. Since even the bottleneck in the vicinity is not considered when permitting redevelopment, if the existing road is narrow, the mobility-scape can become complicated for each road that meets the access road to the apartment. This phenomenon is noticeable around Nammun-ro in Dong-gu, which has a street system centered on small roads.
Redevelopment focused on apartment complexes in Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City changes the space that was centered on detached houses into a space centered on apartments. This creates vertical landscapes of high-rise buildings, symbolic landscapes produced by brands, consumption, and education, and mobility-scapes created by various movements. The important point here is that the local characteristics of Dong-gu are influencing the landscape change of apartment complex redevelopment. This study reveals that what appears to be the same landscape changes actually creates landscapes with differences according to local characteristics.