Busan Metropolitan City launched a feasibility study on the Sanbokdoro Renaissance Project designed to regenerate a dilapidated hillside residential area. Due to its geography, this hillside residential area is not easily accessible and lacks public and cultural facilities as well as other amenities. The vision of this project is to work together to build a creative space, which is divided into three categories. (1) Space Regeneration (ecology, transportation, landscape, living environment); (2) Living Regeneration (restoration of the sense of community and revitalization of the local economy through community businesses); and (3) Culture Regeneration (discovery of historical and cultural assets, which would be in turn used as tourism resources, present more opportunities for cultural programs and expansion of relevant infrastructure). Furthermore, the project is composed by five sub-objectives. First, the project sets up a safer living environment, and building a town that offers a convenient transportation network. It aims to establish a safer traffic system that puts pedestrians first and a town that it is embedded with ubiquitous technologies and free from crime. Second is the ecological restoration in areas of environmental degradation and the expansion of greenery. By utilizing abandoned houses, additional green space will be created while the view and landscape of the town are preserved. Third is to expand public space within the town and increase social capital through more active networking among residents. Fourth is to support the residents so that they can become economically self-sufficient. Lastly, the project is designed to meet the educational needs of the residents by offering them after-school programs and recreational and cultural programs. The Sanbokdoro Renaissance project did not approach the slums from a negative perspective. The project has been implemented based on the discussions and decisions made by residents, administrators and experts. Any resident can participate in the meetings to discuss issues relating to the town. In order to preserve and add more vitality to the town, people of all ages and walks of life have engaged in resolving problems, such as addressing unemployment, improving the living environment and promoting local tourism, which strengthened the capabilities of the residents, thereby increasing their self-governing activities for the local community. The project also introduced an online resident participation system featuring advanced tools for providing feedback. By developing urban regeneration map services using a web-based GIS mapping application, information about the town and updates on projects are now regularly provided to residents online. Thanks to this technology, residents have been able to establish the foundation for an online decision making system, where they can share their ideas and provide feedback on project implementation and the future direction of their towns. Residents can obtain welfare information, town news and other information through 17 media boards set up across the villages. For the elderly people who are not familiar with smart devices, RFID cards were distributed to help users get customized information, when scanned on media board screens. In its third year, the Sanbokdoro Renaissance Project continued to improve the living environment of the target area by opening a community learning center, improving the pedestrian environment, organizing a community festival, forming a community choir and orchestra and operating town tour bus services and CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) lighting.

Website: http://u-sbdr.busan.go.kr/usr/