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Busan Unveils Step-Up Strategy to Advance the 15-Minute City and Enhance Everyday Happiness Close to Home

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it held the “15-Minute City Happy Village” event at City Hall’s Deullak-Nallak and the first-floor lobby and unveiled its Step-Up Strategy aimed at taking another step toward creating a 15-minute city where citizens enjoy greater everyday happiness.

From today (December 8) through tomorrow (December 9), the city is operating themed experiential spaces centered on the five core (anchor) facilities of the 15-minute city.

The spaces consist of Deullak-Nallak, Haha Center, Our Neighborhood Social Value Management (ESG) Center, the Mobile Medical Bus, and an urban park experience zone, bringing together various components of the city’s 15-minute city initiatives in one place.

Programs include the Yeonje Comics Library’s mini comic reading room, senior makeup sessions, workshops using recycled plastic to make “Boogi” keychains, the “15-Minute City Mind Pharmacy” (book recommendations through psychological counseling), and virtual reality (VR) cycling path experiences. A parenting talk concert will also be held.

As part of the official program, Mayor Park Heong-joon announced the city’s Step-Up Strategy for the 15-minute city at 2:20 p.m. today (December 8) at Deullak-Nallak in City Hall.

The city has established three strategic directions: a city enjoyed close to home (accessibility), a city where neighbors share happiness (solidarity), and a city enriched by nature (ecological value). It will develop and implement specialized projects closely connected to citizens’ daily lives.

1. A City Enjoyed Close to Home: Improving Walkability and Bicycle Access

To advance a city enjoyed close to home, the city will implement the “Safe Walking Paths” and “Healthy Cycling Paths” initiatives.

Safe Walking Paths
The city will create safe school commute routes where children, students, and parents can feel secure. By prioritizing pedestrian–vehicle separation and identifying high-risk locations, the city plans to develop three types of routes: car-free streets, pedestrian-only sidewalks, and pedestrian safety roads.

Healthy Cycling Paths
In response to rising bicycle use, the city will focus on creating “everyday cycling routes” connecting neighborhoods with mountains, coasts, and rivers, as well as uniquely themed “leisure cycling routes.” Measures include introducing road diets to secure bicycle lanes and enhancing connections with public transportation. The plan envisions routes that allow residents to enjoy nature by linking the seven mountains of Busan, such as Geumjeongsan and Ahopsan; seven beaches, including Haeundae, Ilgwang, and Dadaepo; and the Nakdong River.

2. A City Where Neighbors Share Happiness: Strengthening Community Life

To foster community solidarity, the city will introduce “Mobile 15-Minute City Services” and “Private Platform Partnership Projects.”

Mobile 15-Minute City Services
These services will bring culture, arts, and experiential programs directly to neighborhoods so that citizens can enjoy key 15-minute city features close to their homes. This aims to bridge gaps in access to major facilities and programs such as Deullak-Nallak and Haha Center.

Private Platform Partnership Projects
The city will work with widely used, high-quality private platforms to develop “private platform-linked quality-of-life improvement projects.” Through these partnerships, the city will identify community spaces and operate related programs to promote resident-led community engagement.

3. A City Enriched by Nature: Expanding Green Spaces and Advancing Sustainability

To add more green to the city, Busan will expand “green pauses” throughout urban areas and promote carbon reduction policies to build a sustainable city.

Green Pauses in Daily Life
The city will increase access to parks and gardens so all Busan residents can enjoy green spaces close to home. Plans include developing linear parks through road diets, pursuing national urban park and national garden designation for the Nakdong River Estuary, and preparing the “10,000 Gardens” initiative, which aims to create 10,000 public and private gardens across the city.

A Sustainable City
The city will strengthen carbon reduction initiatives to promote sustainability. It will establish an urban planning system that incorporates people-centered sustainable development principles from the outset of development plans. In addition, unused or underutilized facilities—such as closed schools, decommissioned police substations, and vacant homes—will be repurposed as citizen network spaces. To promote eco-friendly lifestyles, the city will expand resource reuse and recycling efforts and increase Busan’s carbon credit capacity in alignment with local conditions.

Recognition and Advancement of the 15-Minute City Model

Busan is implementing diverse 15-minute city policies that focus on fostering social connections among friends and neighbors in quality environments. These efforts have earned international recognition, including winning the Overall Gold Award and the Criteria Award for Sustainable Policies at the 2025 LivCom Awards, a global competition for livable cities.

The city’s core anchor facilities—such as Deullak-Nallak (a children’s cultural complex), Haha Center (a senior participation space), and the Our Neighborhood Social Value Management (ESG) Center (an eco-friendly senior job space)—serve as user-centered platforms that connect communities and promote culture, education, knowledge-sharing, intergenerational exchange, and hands-on experiences.

Busan is also expanding everyday social infrastructure, public medical and sports facilities, and access to cultural and artistic experiences to enhance citizens’ convenience and quality of life.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “The ultimate goal of Busan’s 15-minute city is to ensure that citizens enjoy richer everyday happiness by accessing high-quality cultural and leisure opportunities within warm and supportive local communities near their homes.”

He further emphasized, “Going forward, we will evaluate all municipal projects through the lens of 15-minute city values and pursue initiatives that enhance citizens’ quality of life. By doing so, we will expand the 15-minute city model—developed collaboratively with citizens—throughout Busan, continuously working toward a 15-minute city of happiness where people would choose to live again.”