The purpose of this study was to identify post-development issues on the rise in terms of townscape and find out fundamental causes of those issues, so that it could propose appropriate solutions for the issues and suggest possible alternative ways re...
The purpose of this study was to identify post-development issues on the rise in terms of townscape and find out fundamental causes of those issues, so that it could propose appropriate solutions for the issues and suggest possible alternative ways required in developing new towns in the future.
In order to meet the above goals, this study covered some of Phase 1 new towns constructed across metropolitan areas in 1990's (e.g. Bundang New Town, Ilsan New Town and Pyeongchon New Town) and some of Phase 2 new towns constructed there in 2000's (e.g. Pangyo New Town, Dongtan New Town and Gimpo Hangang New Town) to prepare an analytic framework for major axes, points, spheres and planning guidelines of each townscape from the viewpoint of townscape planning; investigate and analyze categorical achievements for townscape planning; and deduce practical issues of planning and suggest possible solutions for them, so that it could propose possible ways to make any favorable townscape for large-scale development project sites planned in Siheung city, Gyeonggni province.
As a part of preliminary steps for research, this study made a theoretical examination to analyze relevant theories, researches and foreign cases concerning townscape planning. Starting from fundamental definitions of landscape, this study sought to take an outlook about potential developmental orientations of landscape theories in the future by syntactically understanding existing theories on townscape planning, and also sought to examine landscape-related statutes and different components of townscape planning.
In combination with understanding of practical knowledge required for future landscape planning (e.g. procedure and principal to establish townscape planning), this study analyzed model townscape planning cases in Kobe, Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan, as well as other cases of landscape zoning and history, and natural landscape conservation methods in Austin and Denver, the United States, so that it could improve our comprehension about townscape planning.
Methodologically, this study sought to extract various landscape components including orientations, principles, techniques and planning considerations of townscape planning for several categories such as forest, waterside, street, rural / mountain / coastal village, history, culture and urban district, with a view to analyze new town townscape planning, so that it could employ those components as a framework of analysis.
In addition to a structural framework of general townscape including major axes, points and spheres of townscape, this study employed practical guidelines on townscape planning and thereby extracted urban planning matters concerning size, layout, forms, materials and colors for respective townscape components (e.g. architectural sight, open-space planning, outdoor advertisement, public facilities, colors and night lighting), so that it could make another framework of analysis.
Based on the above frameworks of analysis, the results of this study can be summed up as follows:
In terms of axial planning for general urban townscape, this study compared and analyzed green townscape axes, waterside townscape axes, street townscape axes and skyline formation between Phase 1 and 2 new towns. As a result, it was found that both Phase 1 and 2 new towns were originally designed to interconnect park, green zones and walkways (community roads) with one another in town complex, so that they could create a network of urban greens, but Phase 2 new towns were better planned than Phase 1 new towns in terms of quality and connectivity of new towns to green landscape outside town complex.
And it was found that Phase 2 new towns were characterized by interconnections of green buffer zones / townscape greens, children's park, neighborhood park and adjacent greens, so that their urban green axes could be formed in systematic manner. Particularly, those towns stressed visual and quantitative abundance of green axes, so that their townscape was more positively planned in consideration of urban ecology and landscape, which could be hardly deduced in 2-dimensional urban planning.
For assessment on creation of major townscape points across Phase 1 and 2 new towns, this study compared and analyzed their historical and cultural landscape points (e.g. landmarks and cultural assets) and characteristic architectural buildings. As a result, it was found that Both Phase 1 and 2 new towns considered street axes (including major governmental buildings or boulevards in new town) as major urban landmarks of developmental towns, or employed large lake or equivalent water zones as a part of urban landmarks. Particularly, it was found that Phase 2 new towns focused on enhancing their locality with urban landmarks installed at major nodes and entry points; adding local landmark features to public facilities with architectural designs, square development and night lighting; and positively employing public relations on their natural landmarks like river and migratory bird habitat. However, it was found that major historical and cultural landscape points of Phase 2 new towns were limited to cultural assets in town complex or neighboring areas.
Based on cognate townscape resources, land use, geographical features and life sphere (Lebensraum) distribution, this study analyzed actual creation of townscape spheres in Phase 1 and 2 new towns targeted herein. As a result, it was found that most of cognate land uses in Phase 1 and 2 new towns focused on high-rise residential complex comprising apartment houses which accounted for a largest part of cognate land use and townscape spheres in those new towns, but they still remained unfledged in creation of unique or homogenized life sphere. However, it was found that Phase 2 new towns attempted to create detailed townscape spheres owing to a variety of self-sufficient urban functions available in them.
According to analysis on components of townscape planning guidelines for Phase 1 and 2 new towns, it was found that open-space townscapes were generally based on a layout of large-scale park in new towns, but Phase 2 new towns made proactive use of urban watercourse, lake and forest as a part of natural open-space townscape, rather than focused on creating 2-dimensional urban open-space townscape, and they also took a step forward in creating their original townscapes including specialized open spaces like walkway axes, malls and watercourses, although conventional new town planning programs had been underdeveloped in their technical aspects for creating general open spaces and using urban natural watercourse as a part of open-space townscape resources. According to case analysis on townscape planning of new towns for other components like outdoor advertisement, color townscape, public facilities and night townscape, it was found that none of Phase 1 new towns considered those components in townscape planning, while Phase 2 new towns developed proactive and detailed townscape plans and employed methods to create relatively abundant townscape, but failed to introduce any further practical guidelines on autonomous townscape concerning townscape agreements that deal with local community's participation and potential associations between district unit programs and townscape planning.
As a part of alternative solutions for those issues, this study proposed a systematic and future-oriented new town townscape program that involves a land use program for self-sufficiency and nature-friendly urban environment of new towns, and also requires a general townscape planning to encompass areas with the reach of new towns in the interest of their sound townscape development. First of all, it is necessary to create nature-friendly urban environments so that they can have a capacity to control flood, purify water and air quality, control local climate, reduce environmental pollution, and conserve natural functions of our ecosystem. And as a part of alternative measures to minimize environmental impact from thoughtless development, this study advised acquiring water circulation system, maintaining air circulation system, conserving urban habitable space for various living things, preparing comprehensive townscape plan for sound development of neighborhood areas, and planning en-bloc new town development projects to cover potential neighborhood areas located with a certain reach of new town sites.