Pyeongtaek Selected as Final Recipient of Ministry of Environment's Smart Green City Project

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Pyeongtaek City announced that it was selected as a final project site on the 28th after applying for the Ministry of Environment's Smart Green City project competition, focusing on four areas—water circulation, clean air, ecological restoration, and environmental education—with a total project budget of 10 billion won, including 6 billion won in national funding and 4 billion won in local funding over two years as a problem-solving initiative.

In September, the Ministry of Environment announced the 'Smart Green City Project Competition' to expand the regional foundation of the Green New Deal by investing a total of 290 billion won across 25 local governments nationwide, aiming to accelerate customized green transitions led by regions.

Pyeongtaek City has recently faced significant environmental challenges, including the worst road impermeability rate, due to rapid urban expansion stemming from the relocation completion of the USFK base, Samsung Electronics' Pyeongtaek business site, and the creation of residential districts.

The city applied for the project to address ecological fragmentation caused by numerous newly constructed roads and climate and air quality problems resulting from Pyeongtaek Port, Hyundai Steel, petrochemical complexes, Poseung National Industrial Complex, and the concentration of half of the nation's coal-fired power plants in nearby South Chungcheong Province.

The project sites are in the areas of Biviseon-dong, Segyo-dong, and Tongbok-dong. The detailed projects within the three selected sectors and six initiatives include ▲creating rainwater circulation green infrastructure ▲water reuse to achieve zero re-suspended dust ▲restoring water circulation urban forest micro-ecosystems ▲Green Road hydrogen green mobility linkage projects ▲developing upcycling creativity projects for voluntary citizen participation in environmental education programs.

Additionally, the city will pursue program diversity by linking with the Environmental Academy education program and Environmental Education Center currently being promoted by Pyeongtaek City.

Pyeongtaek City is confident that the Smart Green City project will serve as a key priming project for urban environmental improvement and climate and environmental problem-solving. Furthermore, it anticipates significant job creation effects through linkage projects with the Tongbok Stream water quality improvement and old downtown regeneration projects.

The ultimate goal is to reconnect the broken and damaged water circulation cycle in Pyeongtaek's own way, revitalizing the urban ecosystem and transforming the city into a model-leading city that responds to climate change.

Pyeongtaek Mayor Chung Jang-seon stated, "We will actively and seamlessly push forward with the Smart Green City project so that Pyeongtaek can lead as a frontline local government in South Korea's transition to a carbon-neutral nation in response to climate change."