Busan is good

New Future for Nakdong River Basin Parks… 2026 Biophilic City Busan International Conference to Be Held

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will hold the “2026 Biophilic City Busan International Conference” today (23rd) at 14:00 in the City Hall Grand Conference Room.

This conference has been organized to realign the ecological value of parks in the Nakdong River basin into a world-class biophilic model in accordance with the City’s policy direction, including the designation of the Nakdong River Estuary National Urban Park and the Nakdong River National Garden, and to share a new future vision with domestic and international experts and citizens.

*Biophilic means “loving nature,” and refers to a design philosophy that enhances psychological stability and well-being by integrating natural elements into spatial environments. In May 2024, Busan Metropolitan City became the first city in Korea to join and be certified by the Biophilic Cities Network (BCN).

Approximately 150 participants, including overseas experts from the United Kingdom and Singapore, domestic academic societies, universities, and citizens, will attend the event, where in-depth discussions will be held under the theme “A New Future for Nakdong River Basin Parks Toward Realizing a Biophilic City Busan.”

[Keynote Lecture] Seong Heui-yeob, Vice Mayor for Future Innovation of Busan Metropolitan City, will deliver a keynote address introducing the vision of “Nakdong Owon (洛東五園),” a new blueprint for parks in the Nakdong River basin.

“Nakdong Owon” refers to a future vision of developing parks in the Nakdong River estuary area together around five distinctive characteristics and five core values.

• ●(Five Distinctive Characteristics) ① Garden of Birds “Eulsukdo” ② Garden of Wild Grasses “Maekdo” ③ Garden of Wetlands “Samnak” ④ Garden of Flowers and Art “Daejeo” ⑤ Garden of Water and Light “Hwamyeong”
  ** (Five Core Values) ① Recovery and Coexistence ② Connecting with One Another ③ Joyful Daily Life ④ History and Culture ⑤ Together with Everyone

[Special Lectures] Special lectures will follow, presenting new perspectives on the Nakdong River and exemplary cases as viewed by overseas experts.

[Special Lecture 1] Andrew Grant of the United Kingdom, who led the design of Singapore’s iconic eco-friendly landmark “Gardens by the Bay,” will deliver a lecture on the theme “A Global Perspective on Nakdong River Basin Parks.”

[Special Lecture 2] Tsai Chung Jay, Senior Design Consultant of Mandai in Singapore and a key figure in the Mandai ecological regeneration project, will share the ecological regeneration case of the Mandai area in Singapore.

[Comprehensive Discussion] Finally, under the theme “A New Future for Nakdong River Basin Parks,” expert panelists and citizens will engage in a discussion on the future of a park city that can be tangibly experienced by residents.

Professor Shim Ji-soo of Pusan National University will serve as moderator, and participants will include Seong Heui-yeob, Vice Mayor for Future Innovation of Busan Metropolitan City, the special lecturers, Professor Yang Geon-seok of Dong-A University, and Professor Jeong Uk-joo of Seoul National University, adding academic depth to the discussion.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “This conference will serve as an important opportunity to present to the world the ecological potential of the Nakdong River as Busan advances as Korea’s first biophilic city,” adding, “We will actively reflect the insights of global experts in municipal administration to create a sustainable future city where nature and people are organically connected—a city Busan where people would want to live again even if they were born anew.”