Park Seung-won, the mayor of Gwangmyeong, is expanding carbon neutrality policies into everyday spaces through citizen participation.
On October 23, Mayor Park inaugurated the city’s first carbon garden, covering approximately 280 square meters, at Cheolsan-dong Gwangdeok Neighborhood Park (635-2 Cheolsan-dong). This initiative features a resource-circulating garden model that allows citizens to participate directly.
The project aims to integrate climate crisis responses into urban spaces and encourage citizens to practice carbon reduction and resource reuse in their daily lives.
A carbon garden absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and minimizes carbon emissions throughout its creation and maintenance processes.
Mayor Park designed the garden with consideration for soil carbon storage and the circulation of natural resources like rainwater. He utilized recycled materials from nearby construction sites and low-carbon certified wood to reduce carbon emissions during the garden's establishment.
Notably, this project stands out for its incorporation of citizen participation in the garden's creation.
The city’s Garden City Policy Director led the design and construction, while 16 local seniors collaborated on the garden's concept, planting, and maintenance.
In partnership with the Gwangmyeong City Hall Senior Welfare Center, Mayor Park conducted a series of seven garden education sessions from July 6 to October 23.
External experts educated participants on carbon reduction principles and the value of community gardens, while the Garden City Policy Director incorporated the seniors' ideas into the actual garden plans. Following collaborative planting activities, the carbon garden was completed.
On the same day, Mayor Park held a performance-sharing meeting to discuss the project's progress and outcomes, stating that he plans to maintain a sustainable management system to ensure continued citizen involvement in garden upkeep.
Mayor Park emphasized, "Addressing the climate crisis begins with transforming urban spaces and must extend into the daily practices of citizens." He added, "We will continue to create a sustainable garden city in Gwangmyeong where nature and people coexist, based on citizen participation."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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