Paris has got la Promenade Plantee.
New York City， the High Line Park.
And， now Seoul may have its own version of an old industrial infrastructure－turned－pedestrian
friendly gardens in the sky.
It’s not an especially new concept， but it’s one that’s proven hugely effective
at revitalizing neighborhoods... which is why Seoul， along with cities like London
and Houston are jumping in this trend of building a Greenway from an old， elevated road.
Greenway in the Seoul sky： our News Feature tonight with Lee Soo－eun.
″Clocks have just struck midnight and the Seoul Station overpass is now shut cars can
no longer use the road.
After 45 years in use， the overpass will gradually be transformed into a park for pedestrians.″
Since its construction in 1970， the 9－hundred 14 meter long overpass in front of Seoul Station
has been a shortcut connecting four districts in central Seoul.
But in 2006， the Seoul Station flyover received a failing grade of ′D′ on a safety test，
prompting the Seoul Metropolitan Government to decide it would be best to demolish the
road for the sake of safety and urban aesthetics.
Then earlier this year in May， the city announced it will scrap demolition plans and
instead remodel the road under the code name ″Seoul Station 7017 Project″.
The 17 meter high flyover which had served the city′s residents since 1970， will
be transformed into a zone exclusive for pedestrians with 17 adjacent walkways... by 2017.
″If the city remodels the motorway， instead of demolishing it， it will allow people
to move around， and perhaps turn it into an urban attraction.
Recycling the structure is also more cost－effective than building a new one.″
New York City′s High Line Park is one instance of reusing an old urban structure.
Once an abandoned railway， it was reborn into a park with flowers， trees， and benches.
The urban regeneration project worked to prevent the city′s deterioration.
″There isn′t much green space near Seoul Station， so we thought that if the overpass
was converted into a park， people could enjoy it as a central urban attraction.″
The city offered residents a chance to experience what the new green space would actually look
and feel like by creating a temporary park on the road last May.
″It′d be great if a park was made since the flyover failed the safety test anyways.
The city would look much better.″
″Taxis need to move quickly.
If we have to take a detour instead of the overpass， then obviously， it′s not good
for us taxi drivers.
Another group of stakeholders not so happy with the project are those working at Namdaemun
Market who have long used the motorway as an essential part of their lives... coming
to work and making deliveries on this road.
″Merchants need convenient traffic and distribution.
We′re against making a park on the Seoul Station flyover if no alternative road is
to be built.″
As opponents of the project predicted， roads
we