Photo – Ossip van Duivenbode
Like many countries and cities that experienced the boom in the use of automobiles, expansive highway systems were constructed all throughout South Korea to usher in a new era of accessibility and prosperity. One particular highway, known as the Seoul station overpass, was constructed in 1970 to alleviate the growing traffic congestion in the surrounding area. As time passed, the overpass was shut down in 2016 due to not passing an annual safety inspection, and was ordered to be demolished. But instead of completely tearing down the highway, city planners instead opted to renovate and revamp the highway into an elevated pedestrian walkway, called Seoullo 7017.
Visualization of the 1Km Long Pedestrian Walkway
Getting its name from the year the highway was originally built in 1970, and the year 2017 in which the pedestrian walkway was relaunched, Seoullo 7017 has managed to drastically revitalize the area into a pedestrian-friendly and nature-oriented space. The pathway itself is lined with 24,085 trees and plants of various native species, allowing city dwellers to get more in touch with mother nature. Seoullo 7017 is also made up of 17 different pathways, all leading to various tourist attractions and stores in the surrounding area, improving the walk score significantly.
Photo – Yuri Hyun
Photo – Ossip van Duivenbode
To learn more about Seoullo 7017, click the link below.
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=2497803
