Growth, decline and the challenges facing a policy-dependent and former-colonial city: Gunsan, Korea

Gunsan is a Korean port city that was designed by Japan in the early 1900s and grew during the Japanese Ruling Era. The urban space of Gunsan was separated into two districts: the new settlement region and the region inhabited by Koreans. The city was one of the fastest growing cities in Korea after the opening of the port, but the urban growth rate slowed remarkably in comparison with those of other Korean cities because of the government-initiated industrialization strategy after the 1970s. The urban growth history of Gunsan is characterized by the dramatic urban transformation of a non-capital city which reacted to changes in historical conditions from the colonial era to the present, manifesting a typical example of urban growth or decline affected by national spatial policies. The urban development pattern of Gunsan means it can be defined as a typical 'policy-dependent city'. Currently, the most important urban development issues of Gunsan are the regeneration of the old downtown and regional economic growth, and representative urban projects are the Modern Cultural City project and the Saemangeum development project. Well-balanced enforcement and management between these urban development projects that are again attempted in a policy-dependent city will be the thing that is necessary and sufficient for sustainable urban growth.