ESG and Social problem-solving design; with a focus on design governance project
Since the spread of COVID-19, cities have faced various social problems different from the pre-COVID era, and citizens have experienced fatigue and stress arising from social problems including Corona Blue (depression due to self-isolation and social distancing), social isolation, increased hatred, digital addiction, etc. To effectively respond to social problems of the city that take place in a multifaceted manner, it is critical to clearly define subproblems first.
Good Environments Make the Youth Emotionally Healthy
“Social problem-solving design” that changed our everyday life — youth problem-solving design The social problem-solving design project of the SMG that began since 2011 has undergone a transition from a “policy-centered” design to a “human-centered” design by proving its effects and receiving the attention of residents. Accordingly, the SMG started the design project in 2014 to solve problems faced by the youth, such as school violence, emotional anxiety, digital dependency, and peer relationships. The first step was the school violence prevention design project which sought points for improvement by analyzing various causes of school violence. The project name was changed to youth problem-solving design in 2018 as its scope has been expanded from school violence to other youth problems that are regarded as social issues. In particular, the necessity of the project emerges from the fact that problematic behaviors of the youth are worsening in terms of the quality and diversifying in terms of the types and targets. There is an urgent need for a solution that considers the developmental stage of the youth and regional characteristics. The youth problem-solving design project of the SMG will be examined by focusing on six representative cases of youth problems.
Better Cities through Design to Improve Life
The Index Project was started in 2002 to educate and encourage people worldwide to draw sustainable solutions to global and social issues. Design and design processes engage in improving the quality of our lives and the community. The project is based on a “design to improve life,” a concept that has been mentioned since 2002. Thus, we take a user-centered design approach and consider their impact on sustainable society, economy, and environment.
Special Interview: Jeffrey Shumaker
First of all, I am very happy to hear that the City of Seoul is continuing to emphasize the importance of design. For me, an emphasis on design must mean benefitting the broader public and should include an emphasis on the design of the public realm: the city’s streets, parks, promenades and plazas. Every new private development must give back to the city in some way, and this usually means either expanding or enhancing the public realm. It is an important role that the city plays: to leverage all private development for the public good and ensure that every new building is a good citizen of the city.
Nature-Inspired Welcome Pavilion Debuts at Boramae Park for the Seoul International Garden Show
- The Welcome Pavilion, designed as a symbolic icon of the Seoul International Garden Show, now marks the main entrance of Boramae Park. - It functions as a central hub that integrates rest areas, exhibitions, and interactive experiences, and will later serve as a participatory public space. - Together with the “Haneul-Haneul” rest installation, it is expected to enhance the overall appeal of the Garden Show to citizens. - Starting this year, a newly designed Pavilion will be introduced annually as a signature feature of the Garden Show.
Universal Design City, Seoul
The city of Seoul started an urban design project in 2007. Within the signage maintenance project, public facilities that were chaotically installed on the streets were integrated, and efforts have been made to transform Seoul into a cleaner and more sophisticated city. The Seoul Design Olympiad, held from 2008 to 2010, was a comprehensive design festival that showed the will and vision of Seoul to challenge beyond design. In 2009, the Seoul Design Foundation was established to support projects such as the operation of the DDP, design research, commercialization, and international events. In 2010, Seoul was selected as the ‘World Design Capital’. ‘Seoul Design Week’ has been held yearly since 2015, to revitalize the design industry by holding conferences, expositions, exhibitions, and markets.