Issue Prioritising urban regeneration over new-town development for relocated agencies

Summary

The first wave relied on building new towns in non-capital regions, which supplied new living space during population growth but deepened the hollowing of old downtowns as people and functions moved out. With most non-capital metropolitan cities now shrinking, adding more new towns on urban fringes or in depopulating areas risks duplicated infrastructure investment and faster decline of original city centres. The report therefore recommends that the second wave first consider existing innovation cities and metropolitan hubs, using undeveloped plots, idle downtown buildings, public land and ageing industrial complexes, with flexible forms such as mixed developments, shared government buildings and leased space. Regeneration can pursue downtown revitalisation and agency relocation at once, as Busan's redevelopment-type city suggests. It also brings practical hurdles, including complex permits, the cost and time of securing land and buildings and limited space for clusters and housing, so the report advises ruling out new towns while applying new-extension and regeneration types flexibly and preparing responses in advance.