용산재개발지구의 근린변동과 젠트리피케이션 과정

용산 재개발지구의 근린 변화와 젠트리피케이션 과정을 연구했다.

Urbanization in Korea has focused on developing new cities for a long time, so it was not active regenerating depressed areas in existing city. Lately, the direction of urban development has turned into central and inner city, then urban regeneration has started under the name of ‘urban revitalization‘, ‘urban renaissance’. It changes not only urban spatial structure but also socio-physical structure of neighborhoods rapidly. Urban regeneration sets a goal for revitalizing physical deterioration and socio-economic devaluation of neighborhood and improving the life of the existing residents. However, it is developing exclusive residential areas for strengthening urban competitiveness.

Therefore, it is a process of socio-spatial change where the rehabilitation of residential property in the low-income working class neighborhood by affluent incomers leads to the displacement of former residents. In this research, considering these neighborhood changes as gentrification processes occurred in western since 1970s, it would be identified how urban regeneration affects neighborhood changes through a case study of Yongsan redevelopment district in Seoul. The physical, socio-economic and spatial changes in Yongsan redevelopment district were analyzed by rent gap theory, governmental urban development policies and new lifestyle.

For this, the fieldwork in Yongsan redevelopment district, the interview of the incomers were conducted, then the data about population, land value, local taxes were analysed. The results of this research are as follows. First, the potential land rent of Yongsan is quite high at Seoul metropolitan scale, but factors at the neighborhood scale constrain the capitalized land rent to a lower level. This rent gap triggers gentification in Yongsan. Yongsan is very near to CBD and many main thoroughfares in Seoul pass through here, so Yongsan is a very convenient place for using transportation. In addition to, Yongsan is well linked with other regions, because it is located in the center of Seoul.

Accordingly, the potential land rent of Yongsan can be determined high at the Seoul metropolitan scale. In contrast, the capitalized land rent has been undervalued to the land value of Seoul's outskirts for a long period. That's why the land use of this area was not of the type that will allow the full measure of potential land value to be captured. It has been impossible to make urban development plans because of the U.S military base and Korean rail bases in Yongsan. So the small factories, warehouses and old poor housings have been remained here. From this, the land value valley of Seoul's land value curve has been located in Yongsan.

However, after the urban redevelopment plans was announced, much capital has moved here in pursuit of profits and it attracts to investments. This is linked to speculation and brings about dramatically increment in land value. The expectation for development causes converting the depreciated buildings and lands to speculative objects and significant increases of the capitalized land rent. Second, the governmental development policies cause gentrification intentionally or unintentionally to strengthen urban competitiveness for globalization.

Seoul government has made various development plans such as building a new central business district and a global business district in Yongsan, since the U.S military base and Korean rail bases were defined to move. The neighborhood physical changes are being progressed significantly, because the governmental strategies like this joined speculative capitals seeking development profits by rent gap. Therefore the small land parcels left poor housings and factories are combined and converted to the newly built high-rise mixed-use buildings complexes.

The high-rise mixed use buildings are constructed to attract the business revitalizing the local economy, but they are used only for residence not for the business and then Yongsan is transformed to exclusive residential areas. Local government can gain increased property tax revenue. Together with expanding tax revenue, Yongsan makes city's new images instead of the past negative images by constructing the exclusive residential areas. On the basis of this, the local government tries to intensify city's symbolism and to promote selling its city. Finally it wants to attract more high-income bracket and investors.

Third, it is a gentrification process which the existing residents living in the poor neighborhood move to another place by affluent incomers leads to the displacement of former residents. Yongsan redevelopment district was the low income working neighborhood which most people were old aged tenants living alone. However, the existing residents had to move to similar living environments or inferior areas. A large majority moved within Yongsan Gu, because their workplace was here and they were not wealthy enough to move far. The absolute majority of their settlement as well as Yongsan are planned to urban redevelopment areas, so they have to move again soon.

Instead of former residents, the dwellers from the high-income bracket lives move here. The incomers are broadly divided into two categories: the young small households and the middle aged households. The young small households consist of thirties one person or childless couple who are professional workers working in CBD. They moved to Yongsan by the short distance to their workplaces, convenience of transportations and satisfying convenient facilities.

Whereas the middle aged households are over fifties professionals chose here by their property increase and possibility of future growth; It is supposed to construct a large park in the U.S army base and a global business district in the rail arsenal. It is very similar to the character of western gentrifiers that the young professional affluent workers constituted single households or the small households move to central and inner city in pursuit of the proximity t