Transforming Unused Spaces in a Shrinking City through Individuals’ Spontaneous Occupation Activities: The Case of Janghang, South Korea

• Main Author: Jin-Wook Lee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-08-01
• Series: Sustainability
• Subjects: urban landscape management; sustainable management; vacant houses; stakeholder conflicts
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/16/6621

This study examines individual occupancy of unused space from an urban management perspective. It also identifies measures for sustainable city management by exploring the changes in unused space and relationships between various stakeholders based on personal occupancy processes. The target area of this study is Janghang, which has been characterized by population decline and economic recession over the past decade. Participants were recruited through snowball sampling and informal interviews, and data were analyzed using the open coding method. The results of the study show that unused space was occupied for various purposes such as to harvest food, pursue leisure activities, and alleviate the adverse effects of spaces remaining unused for extensive periods. The results identified owners, occupants, public organizations, and neighborhoods as stakeholders in unused spaces. Moreover, the neglected unused space was maintained as a managed space through tacit consent as well as flexible negotiation and stakeholders’ collective consciousness. Agreement and coordination among stakeholders and the physical environment of the unused space are crucial factors in managing unused space and landscapes because of the differences between landowners and occupants in a shrinking city.