BUSAN — Haeridan-gil and Jeonpo Cafe Street, two of Busan's best-known alley commercial districts, have grown through changes of use and remodeling of existing low-rise buildings rather than through large-scale development or new construction, according to a new analysis that urges the city to shift its alley-district policy from demolition and development toward preservation and regeneration.
Youngsan University said on the 27th that senior research fellows Lee Su-hyun and Lee Hyun-jin of its Housing and Urban Research Institute examined changes to detached houses in and around Haeridan-gil and Jeonpo Cafe Street. In both districts, the commercial areas expanded as individual storefronts converted existing buildings and alleyways to commercial use.
The shift was most pronounced on Haeridan-gil. Of the development activity recorded on detached houses since 2018, when the street became a major destination, 68.7% involved changing the use of an existing building. That is more than three times the 22.2% share recorded through 2017.
The findings suggest the competitiveness of alley commercial districts does not necessarily come from new buildings. The structures of older detached houses, the alleyways and the existing urban landscape themselves acted as assets that drew in new commercial tenants such as cafes, restaurants and cultural venues, the researchers said.
A similar pattern emerged on Jeonpo Cafe Street. On narrow alleys and irregularly shaped lots, changes of use to existing buildings were common, while lots fronting relatively wide roads tended to see remodeling or new construction. An analysis of restaurant and refreshment business permits also showed commercial activity that began on Jeonpo Cafe Street and Jeonridan-gil spreading naturally into adjacent alleys such as Jeonpo Sait-gil.
As the districts expanded, existing buildings and alley landscapes served not as merely aging facilities but as core resources that create a district's identity and distinctiveness, the researchers said. Removing existing buildings through uniform redevelopment could instead damage the distinctive appeal these alley districts hold.
On policy, the researchers proposed encouraging the preservation and use of existing buildings while establishing management frameworks tailored to the character of each alley. Citing Seoul Seongdong District's ordinance on the preservation and support of red-brick buildings, they said Busan should consider introducing its own tailored measures to maintain and make use of existing low-rise buildings and alley landscapes.
"The old buildings on Haeridan-gil are a core resource that creates the area's appeal and identity," said Lee Su-hyun. Lee Hyun-jin added, "We need more granular policies that take into account the characteristics of both the alley interiors and the main street frontages."
Suh Jung-ryul, director of the Housing and Urban Research Institute, who supervised the study, said, "As the number of tourists visiting Busan has increased recently, Busan's own distinctive alley commercial districts are drawing attention." He added, "To maintain alley districts that are true to Busan, the city needs to put in place an ordinance for creating alley landscapes that make use of existing buildings, and it must also improve the walking environment by designating pedestrian-priority roads."
