Wide boulevards, towers, offices and Central Park form an orderly grid around Beomgye and Pyeongchon stations. Unlike the older Anyang Station district, this was a planned response to metropolitan housing pressure in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
A master plan is only the start of life
Land use, roads, schools and parks can be drawn in advance; successful shops, friendships and school routines cannot. Residents moved in while transport and facilities matured at different speeds. A new town never has one moment of perfect completion.
Broad roads are efficient and divisive
They benefit cars and buses but impose long crossings on pedestrians. A destination that looks nearby may require signals and underground passages. Wheelchair and stroller users should check elevator locations.
After more than three decades, plumbing, parking, energy performance and rebuilding are major questions, while mature trees and social networks are valuable assets. Costs differ for owners, tenants and merchants. For overseas visitors Pyeongchon is better understood as an ageing first-generation new town, where geometric planning is continuously corrected by residents and time.