Abstract for the Keynote Speech (by Dong-Shin Moon, Mayor of Gunsan, Republic of Korea) th
The main theme of "Resilient Cities: Rethink, Rebuilt, Revitalize" for the 4 Congress in Jakarta, Indonesia is very significant. Local governments of today are no longer able to exist independently from the international community, as we have entered into an era of an ever-growing need for inter-municipal cooperation with the advent of global climate problems and trade issues affecting local governments. The environment in which we live today has changed significantly, and it is continuously evolving at a tremendous speed, affected by multiple complex variables which no local government has experienced before. Problems arising from urbanization, multi-culturalism, sprawl, and other forms of natural environment pollution will become the subjects which will be resolved through the lens of "Resilience." Counter-Punch: Solution to Change is to Change It is important to absorb shocks with flexibility, but at the same time we should go one step further and utilize situations as opportunities for greater advancements. This is analogous to the effects of a "counter-punch" in boxing. Rather than limiting oneself to the defensive posture, we should introduce new policies or make necessary amendments to the existing system and framework in response to the changes to guarantee unprecedented rippling effects. Therefore, in order to maximize these effects, you must be aggressive but also bold, requiring you to think outside the box. External changes and stresses can be successfully managed by employing a necessary corresponding force. A proactive response, in other words, requires determination and endeavors to renovate the existing structure against the surrounding developments which can then become the stimulus to acquire the needed resilience against the evolving global community. Unity, Key for Development; Diversity, Key for Resilience Since resilience is a fundamental element required for future urban development, and unity cannot be completely discredited by municipal governments, it is critical that we find a workable balance between these seemingly contradicting principles. In order to successfully address and overcome the inherent problems embedded in diversity, I propose the introduction and operation of regular and effective communication channel. The establishment of a responsible organizational body will be able to provide long-term, workable solutions to current existing problems. Rather than simply registering civil complaints and providing temporary solutions, the introduction of a comprehensive system reflecting different opinions in extracting a socially agreed upon consensus is required to overcome the inherent characteristics of diversity in the absence of unity. Urban Design: Case Study - Gunsan Modern Historical Landscape Project Gunsan, as the center of the Saemangeum Project, the largest land reclamation project in Korea is renowned as a future city. However, at the same time, Gunsan is a city of history of 1,000 years and modern culture. The Modern Historical Landscape Project, in short, is to add new life to the modern architectural buildings by st adding the color of the 21 century. The fundamental design principles governing this project are "Completeness of Community" and "Spirit of Revitalization� (utilizing local resources). The project aims at installing various facilities to minimize the distance human movement and maximizing the utility of existing resources in our efforts to create new added values, engaging in aggressive and active transformation of the urban infrastructure, thus expecting to revitalize the slow inner urban communities. In conclusion, I would like to introduce "Self-Innovation" as the key word in securing the necessary resilience needed to successfully adapt to the changing global community. The definition of the word "resilience" itself has a resilient character which can be applied to many different situations. Therefore, we must also respect the definitional characteristics of the word and exercise a spirit of activeness and flexibility in our endeavors.