The challenge
An aging elevated highway dominated and divided Seoul's city center.
The case
Between 2003 and 2005, Seoul demolished an elevated highway and the road beneath it to restore the Cheonggyecheon stream, creating a park running about 5.8 kilometers through the city center. Despite fears of gridlock, traffic adapted as the city expanded bus services. The area became a popular public space, nearby temperatures and air pollution fell, and property values rose. Critics noted that the stream relies on pumped water and that small businesses were displaced.
Why it worked
Removing a highway didn't cause the traffic chaos many predicted, because people changed how they traveled. Fast delivery left less room to protect local traders.
Sources
Spot an error or know a better source? Tell us