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Busan Metropolitan City to Host the “2026 Special Planning Busan Grand Forum on Urban Space” with Citizens: Discussing Busan-Style Collective Housing

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will hold the “2026 Special Planning Busan Grand Forum on Urban Space” for three days from March 30 to April 1 under the theme “Space and the Future of Busan” to discuss new policy directions that take an integrated view of architecture and the city.

Cities are continuously evolving as various elements such as housing, transportation, and the environment interact in complex ways, requiring a more integrated approach to urban policy. Accordingly, there is a growing need for “integrated urban-architecture planning,” which organically links architectural and urban planning to jointly design urban spatial structures, design, and living environments.

This grand forum has been organized as a special planning event of the “Busan Urban Space Forum,” a platform for discussing the city’s architectural policies. The event will be held at the City Hall’s 1st-floor Main Auditorium (special lecture by Yoo Hyun-jun) and the 12th-floor International Conference Hall (thematic forum). Hosted by Busan Metropolitan City and jointly organized by the Busan International Architecture Festival Organizing Committee and the Busan–Ulsan–Gyeongnam Chapter of the Architectural Institute of Korea, the forum is expected to be attended by approximately 700 participants, including urban and architectural experts, public officials, students, and citizens.

Through this forum, the city plans to provide a public platform where experts and citizens can jointly discuss the concept and policy direction of “Busan’s spatial planning.”

On the first day, March 30 at 11:00 a.m. (Main Auditorium, 1st floor of City Hall), Professor Yoo Hyun-jun of the Department of Architecture at Hongik University, widely recognized by the public, will deliver a special lecture. Under the theme “Space and the Future of Busan,” he will present perspectives on urban spatial structures and future city design directions from an architect’s viewpoint, followed by a Q&A session with citizens.

Following the special lecture, the forum will feature participation from top-tier domestic experts representing academia and architectural practice, who will discuss policy directions for “integrated urban-architecture planning” and strategies for Busan’s spatial development.

On the second day, March 31, presentations will be held under the theme “Understanding and Design Methods of Integrated Urban-Architecture Planning.” Professor Park In-seok, Emeritus Professor at Myongji University and former Chair of the National Architectural Policy Committee, will present on “Regional Convergence-Type Residential Development Strategies through Integrated Urban-Architecture Planning,” while Kim Jin-wook, CEO of Yeji Architects & Engineers, will introduce “Design and Administrative Procedures of Integrated Urban-Architecture Planning.”

On the final day, April 1, presentations will focus on “The Future Direction of Collective Housing.” Jeon Yi-seo, CEO of Jeon Architects, will present “Proposals for Urban Apartment Housing Required in This Era,” and Yoon Hyuk-kyung, Senior Advisor at ANU Design Group, will present “From Complexes to Cities – A Lifecycle Care Living Area Master Plan.”

Starting with this forum, Busan Metropolitan City plans to continue discussions throughout the year on the policy direction of “Busan’s spatial planning,” linking architectural and housing policies with urban planning, and to establish a foundation for urban spatial strategies.

Prior to this, on March 25 at 3:00 p.m., the 55th Open Busan Urban Architecture Forum will be held at the City Council’s main conference hall under the theme “Hillside Housing in Busan and the Transfer of Development Rights System.” In addition, the city will continue discussions on urban residential strategies and policy directions through the “Busan Housing Forum,” co-hosted with the Korean Housing Association at Pusan National University in May, and a forum linked to the Korea Architecture Culture Festival in October.

The forum is open to anyone through online pre-registration and on-site registration, with online pre-registration starting at 10:00 a.m. on March 19. More details can be found on the Busan International Architecture Festival website (www.biacf.or.kr), and inquiries can be directed to the Busan International Architecture Festival Secretariat (Tel. 051-744-7729).

Bae Seong-taek, Director General of the Housing and Architecture Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, stated, “Busan is a city where mountains, rivers, the sea, hills, slopes, and diverse types of residential areas coexist. Through this forum, we will explore directions for integrated urban-architecture planning that utilize architecture as a means of implementing urban strategies and continue to advance Busan’s urban spatial policies.”