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Busan Launches Public–Private Council for “15-Minute City: Safe Routes to School,” Moving Ahead with Full-Scale Project Implementation

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□ Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it has completed the formation of a public–private council for the “15-Minute City: Safe Routes to School” project and will begin full-scale pilot implementation starting next year.

○ In October, the City held its first (kick-off) meeting at the bureau director level with the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency and the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education. Through this meeting, Busan established a public–private council that includes transportation and education experts, as well as parents’ and civic groups. This structure enables both the public and private sectors to work together throughout the entire process—from investigating the current status of school commuting-route accidents and establishing improvement plans to evaluating the project.

□ Today (26th) at 15:30, Busan will hold an appointment ceremony for the Public–Private Council for “15-Minute City: Safe Routes to School” (hereinafter referred to as “the Council”) in the City Hall video conference room, officially announcing the Council’s launch.

○ Mayor Park will attend the ceremony to appoint a total of 11 members to the Council and present appointment letters.

○ The Vice Mayor for Future Innovation will serve as the chair. Six working-level division heads from the City, the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency, and the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education will serve as ex officio members, while four private-sector members—transportation and education experts recommended by relevant institutions, a representative of parents, and a representative of a civic organization—will be appointed as private members.

□ The Council’s role is to identify pedestrian spaces around schools where the risk of accidents is high and where schools are disconnected from surrounding neighborhoods, and to secure safe pedestrian rights centered on students by separating vehicle traffic from pedestrian routes.

□ Through today’s meeting, members will discuss the school-route improvement plan and joint response measures for potential issues that may arise during project implementation.

□ The Council will manage the entire process—site selection, design, construction, and evaluation—through regular meetings held twice a year and ad hoc working-level consultative meetings. The project will be 추진 in three formats: ▲Car-Free Streets ▲Pedestrian-Only Sidewalks ▲Pedestrian Safety Roads.

○ The Council will first examine 64 candidate sites recommended by district and county offices and local offices of education. Based on on-site inspections and the collection of residents’ opinions, it will then select the pilot project sites.

○ In particular, drawing on cases such as Paris, France, the City will apply tailored models suited to each school’s characteristics through three formats: a “Car-Free Street” that fully restricts vehicle access; a “Pedestrian-Only Sidewalk” that utilizes idle spaces such as public land or school boundaries; and a “Pedestrian Safety Road” that visually separates pedestrian routes through surface treatment*, among other measures. In addition, through the Council’s operations, Busan will continue to identify and develop additional pilot models in various formats.

* Surface treatment: A method that applies a thin layer (e.g., epoxy) to the road surface to enhance visibility through color contrast.

□ Through discussions within the Council, Busan plans to select three initial sites in early next year, identify risk factors on school commuting routes, and begin design and construction in the second half of the year.

○ To minimize inconvenience related to passage and parking for residents and businesses near the commuting routes, the City will review complementary measures such as adjustments to the road network, designation of one-way streets, and flexible operation during school commuting hours. It will also strengthen prior briefings and opinion-gathering procedures for parents and schools.

□ In addition, Busan will analyze safety and effectiveness by conducting joint inspections and evaluations with the Council on the results of next year’s pilot projects, and in the mid- to long term, plans to expand the project across all districts and counties.

□ Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “Our City is 추진 the 15-minute city as a key policy initiative to address urban overcrowding and traffic congestion and to build a happy city by fostering connections among people. Among these efforts, safe school commuting routes are an essential responsibility that respects the pedestrian rights of future generations.” He added, “By joining forces with the public and private sectors, we will steadily create a safer walking environment around schools where students can walk with peace of mind.”