Wed, Nov 19, 2025 10:16

Nov 19, 2025 · 1 min read
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Living in Seoul, one quickly encounters ongoing debates about urban redevelopment in a city where public and private interests, heritage conservation, and the need for green spaces constantly intersect. Below are two recent articles from The Korea Herald that explore such themes:

  • Redevelopment near Jongmyo Shrine: a controversial project adjacent to the UNESCO World Heritage site that highlights the tension between preserving historic areas and revitalizing aging parts of the city.

  • Demolition of the former Millennium Hilton Seoul: a look at the demolition of a significant example of modern Korean architecture, along with exhibitions that reflect on the legacy of Korean modernism and efforts to preserve traces of it.

On a related note—but this time in the context of Brussels—I recently read an interview with Leo Van Broeck on the Brussels news site Bruzz. He mentions how strict heritage protections in the city can limit redevelopment opportunities, including the creation of green spaces that are essential for addressing the effects of climate change.

Urbanism Architecture Cities
Wouter Van Rossem
Authors
Wouter Van Rossem
Wouter Van Rossem is a researcher on the intersection between social science and computer science. He previously worked on the European Research Council (ERC) funded project, Processing Citizenship, where he investigated how data infrastructures for population processing co-produce citizens, Europe, and territory. He completed his PhD at the University of Twente in the Netherlands and is still working on publications stemming from these impactful projects. In addition to his academic pursuits as a PhD at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, he brings a diverse background as a software engineer, having worked in various companies and at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Italy. His diverse background, spanning both theoretical and hands-on knowledge, reflects his keen interest in exploring the intricate interconnections between technology and society.