Seoul Cities
Cities 29 (2012) 142–154 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Cities journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/cities City profile Seoul ⇑ Hyung Min Kim, Sun Sheng Han Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia article info abstract Article history: Seoul is a major global city with a history of over 600 years. Its development trajectory, current status in Received 13 August 2010 the world economy, and challenges faced in socio-spatial dynamics present an excellent case in the study Received in revised form 25 November 2010 of cities, especially of the Asia–Pacific region. This profile outlines Seoul’s historical development, recent Accepted 12 February 2011 changes and contemporary conditions (in terms of its territory, economy, land and housing market, Available online 13 July 2011 urbanisation policy, infrastructure development, social impact and culture), metropolitan planning, and future development. Keywords: Ó 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Urban history Economic development Housing Planning policies Metropolitan governance Historical development structure of cities, were adopted as fundamental to the Chosun Dynasty (Kim, 2009). Thus, in line with feng shui and Confucian A significant year in Seoul’s history is 1394 during which Seoul, by principles, the Kyongbok Palace was located in the middle of the the name of Han Yang, was chosen as the new capital of the Chosun (or city2; the ancestor shrine Chongmyo in the east of the Palace, and Joseon) Dynasty (Kim, 2009: p. 194). The first 10 years of Seoul as a the Dynasty Sajic in the west3 (Ko, 2005). The city wall was built capital city were characterised by uncertainty about its status as along the four inner mountains (Fig.
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