The cheonggyecheon river lies in the heart of the Seoul.

As does any design, the cheonggyecheon

river restoration project too has its pros and cons. But it was not just a stream revitalisation that
took place in Seoul, the project managed to connect the entire city and change it’s the city’s image
on a global scale.

Its pros include not just the revitalization of downtown Seoul, but also a boost in the economic
development. The project had successfully restored the natural environment and habitats for fish,
amphibians, insects and birds. What was earlier a city that was divided into two parts, along the
north and south; after the restoration these two parts were connected by the cultural and
environmental resources of the northern and southern areas of the stream. Analysing the effects of
the project on a different scale, the micro-climate of the area improved. The pollution decreased,
thus improving the health conditions of the locals. Of all the steel, concrete-asphalt waste from the
demolition of the bridge, majority was recycled and used again.

In the past, water was naturally present during the summer rainy season in the river, now Seoul
metropolitan government has to pump the water from the Han river to create a constant flow in the
stream. Overall, when we analyse such projects, it cannot be from a singular perspective. Their
success lies on different scales and different sectors of development.