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Busan’s 680 Kilometers of Waterfront: Connecting Citizens’ Daily Lives and the Future!

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, announced that it will hold a public hearing on the “Busan Waterfront Management Master Plan (Draft)” tomorrow, August 21, at 3:00 p.m. in the International Conference Room at Busan City Hall to gather opinions from citizens and experts.

The draft master plan was prepared to systematically manage approximately 680 kilometers of waterfront areas across Busan, comprising 400 kilometers of coastline and 280 kilometers of rivers, within a single comprehensive framework. Until now, differences in management systems and standards have limited the ability to take an integrated approach to waterfront areas.

Busan Metropolitan City plans to redefine the spatial value of waterfront areas, focusing on areas extending approximately 500 meters from the waterfront boundary, and establish Busan’s first comprehensive waterfront management guidelines that can be applied consistently to urban planning and development projects.

The “Busan Waterfront Management Master Plan (Draft)” sets forth the vision of “Global Busan Connected by Waterways, a Waterfront City Where People and Nature Meet.”

The fundamental principles for realizing this vision are resilience, publicness, and vitality. The plan seeks to expand the role of waterfronts beyond spaces simply intended for development or use, transforming them into public spaces where nature and the city coexist and that all citizens can enjoy as part of their everyday lives.

To this end, Busan Metropolitan City has established five goals: healthy waterfronts, open waterfronts, vibrant waterfronts, safe waterfronts, and inclusive waterfronts.

The city will also divide Busan’s waterfront into five zones—the West Nakdong River Zone, Nakdong River Zone, Suyeong River Zone, Gijang Coastal Zone, and Busan Port Coastal Zone—and establish management and development strategies tailored to the characteristics of each area.

Key measures include conserving waterfront ecosystems and establishing green networks; improving public access to waterfronts and expanding public spaces; promoting waterfront activities involving culture, tourism, and leisure; strengthening responses to disasters such as flooding and coastal hazards; and establishing a sustainable waterfront management system with citizen participation.

Based on the master plan, Busan Metropolitan City intends to strengthen implementation by establishing common waterfront guidelines applicable to urban planning and development projects.

The city will incorporate waterfront management principles into higher-level and related plans, including the Parks and Green Spaces Master Plan, Landscape Plan, and Urban and Residential Environment Improvement Master Plan. It will also review whether major waterfront areas should be designated as special districts in order to enhance the effectiveness of the plan.

The plan also proposes using waterfront management standards during reviews by various committees related to urban planning, landscape, and architecture, as well as applying waterfront-specific incentives in the process of preparing district unit plans.

For small-scale development activities, the city will introduce a separate management checklist to ensure that individual projects are harmonized with surrounding waterfront areas.

In addition, Busan Metropolitan City will gather public and expert opinions through both the public hearing and online consultations and actively incorporate a wide range of views into the master plan.

Following administrative procedures, including a report to the Busan Metropolitan Council and consultation with the Urban Planning Committee, the city plans to finalize the master plan by the end of this year.

Baek Myeong-gi, Director General of the Urban Planning Bureau, said, “This draft master plan is significant because it connects Busan’s 680 kilometers of waterfront into a single continuum and establishes waterfront management standards unique to Busan, balancing development with conservation and use with safety.”

He added, “We will actively incorporate a wide range of opinions from citizens and experts to make Busan a global waterfront city enjoyed by both people and nature.”