As part of the 2013 EcoMobility Festival in the Seoul suburb of Suwon, South Korea, the Haenggung-Dong neighborhood, which has approximately 4,300 residents and 1,500 registered cars, closed its roads to car traffic for a month. Project backers like Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-Young emphasized that the event should make people “feel that it is not only possible, but also exciting to have a car-free neighborhood.” To maximize the impact of the project, organizers layered neighborhood interests around three central themes: economic development, beautified streets, and kid-friendly play space.

Most importantly, the strategy for closing and activating the streets was created with the community. The festival addressed issues beyond just transportation, and it helped to attract new faces and investment to the neighborhood. After seeing strong upticks in foot traffic as a result of these unique streets' commercial vitality, businesses that were affected by the reconstruction of these streets reserved their judgements. Ultimately, the event responded to people's individual needs interests while also inspiring action and collaboration. Haenggung-Dong’s festival helped a community to imagine new possibilities while inspiring important discussions about how to make such changes more permanent.

Image credits, from left: Carlos Felipe Pardo on Flickr, Carlos Felipe Pardo on Flickr, Carlos Felipe Pardo on Flickr, Carlos Felipe Pardo on Flickr, Carlos Felipe Pardo on Flickr, Carlos Felipe Pardo on Flickr

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