• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.447-465
• /
• 2004

This paper is to analyze citizens' consciousness on urban changes, especially focusing on changes in urban environment, spatial structure, and urban planning, of large cities in S. Korea, that is, Seoul, Daejeon, Daegu, and Kwangju in the 1990s. Some significant points can be described as follows. First. The most important factor influencing on the change of urban spatial structure was the expansion of residential area inner and outside of cities promoted by the traditional construction industry, and not development of high-tech industries and their complex or location of multi-national firms which can be emphasized as major factors of new urbanization process of global cities. Secondly, citizens seem to have experienced improvement and deterioration of urban environment simultaneously, emphasizing regulatory environmental policy on the one hand, and recognize the necessity of sustainable urban development within given environmental capacity and restoration of destructed and polluted environment of cities. Thirdly, the building boom of new apartment complex was a major driving force of changing urban spatial structure, but it could neither alleviate a residential gap between the poor and the rich areas nor a relief of traffic congestion. Finally, the urban policy in general was felt somewhat improved by citizens, but not in sectoral details.