| 4. In which ways is the initiative creative and innovative?
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Feasibility Study via Joint Debate of Civic Groups Including Experts and Workers
In January, 2012, a joint debate of civic groups for the EcoMobility pilot project was held for the first time. This was when people showed high interest in the world’s first experiment of its kind while simultaneously doubting the possibility of success for this unheard-of event. Since then, about 10 workshops and debates have been held in which experts in the field and working groups took part and started having a better understanding of the issue and reaching a consensus. With Suwon and ICLEI playing a central role, foreign and domestic experts, NGOs, ordinary people and working groups held a total of 85 workshops, discussions and site visits from January 2012 to August 2013.
Visit to Each and Every Household
The evaluation of the EcoMobility pilot project resulted in the Haenggung-dong neighborhood of Suwon being selected. Much was said for and against the unprecedented campaign called “Car-free Life.” So surveys on the perception of EcoMobility were done on 4,603 Haenggung-dong residents for one month in August 2012 to measure their awareness and prepareness for the event. Thirty survey staff were chosen from residents to avoid causing resistance. They visited each household to study 58 items in four fields in detail: the status of family members, the expected effects from the project, the status of household members and passage, and that of independent businessmen and other business owners.
Pleasant Rehearsals for Car-free Streets
Preliminary events had been held a year earlier before the EcoMobility World Festival Suwon 2013 to experience car-free villages in advance. The celebration for “D-365 EcoMobility” was followed by a variety of events. The themes were different, but the intended message was the same: enjoy car-free days.
Expanded Urban Infrastructure
Cars that had occupied alleys were forced out, a product of what was called “people's culture.” For this, infrastructure improvements were made around Haenggung-dong: expansion of amenities such as 1 parking lot, counseling and culture centers, and 5 parks; housing improvement and maintenance such as housing renovation; enhancement of energy efficiency; renovation of walls and rooftops; installation of 1,050meters electrical wires underground; 1,250meters pavement of roads and organization of 165 signs; spicing up the neighborhood’s characteristics with its story such as better use of historical and cultural assets; improvement of 1,760meters alleys and old streets; building unique commercial streets; revitalization of the village community such as building a local community; formation of a consultative residents’ group; and consulting on housing welfare.
Streets Attracting More Foot Traffic
EcoMobility World Festival Suwon 2013 introduced the new concept “Barrier Free”; a design that even those disadvantaged in using transportation, including infants in strollers, the elderly in wheelchairs and the disabled, could easily use was applied at each alley. Also programs for mutual understanding were introduced, headlined by the “Blind Wheelchair Heart (Maeum) Tour.” In the tour, the disabled served as guides and the non-disabled rode wheelchairs or were blindfolded, then both groups went on a tour of Haenggung-dong. Through this experience, the non-disabled realized that the right to mobility is universal.
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| 5. Who implemented the initiative and what is the size of the population affected by this initiative?
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Piece of the Future Borrowed by Residents, Governments, Communities and the World
This was an international event co-hosted by ICLEI and UN-HABITAT with Suwon City Hall. Above all, its success was mainly attributed to the active participation of Suwon residents. Furthermore, EcoMobility experts, a provincial governor, staff from international organizations and NGOs all worked together to the best of their abilities. This way, EcoMobility World Festival Suwon 2013 was the fruit of administrative convergence through the cooperation of residents, government, communities and the world.
Of Residents, by Residents and for Residents!
EcoMobility World Festival Suwon 2013, once considered a reckless challenge, finally saw completion through the voluntary participation of residents. At first, residents had formed a group and staged a mass demonstration against EcoMobility, demanding financial compensation for sales losses due to infrastructure construction for the project. Nevertheless, the sincere efforts and support of the administration persuaded the residents to voluntarily cooperate with and participate in the project, and this led to huge success.
To promote EcoMobility Suwon 2013 and encourage the public to participate and make it possible, 1,280 people started the Residents Promotion Team for EcoMobility. The team carried out governance for neighborhoods participating in planning and producing events for EcoMobility in seven sections: EcoMobility, organizing streets, neighborhood economy, festivals, green living, alley academy and teens. They shared their ideas on the problems facing the neighborhood, considered what residents asked for, explored how to make a better neighborhood everyone wants to live in, and played an important role in promoting and supporting residents' activities as advocates for EcoMobility Suwon 2013.
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| 6. How was the strategy implemented and what resources were mobilized?
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Best Use of Residents' Self-governing Organization
The project was directly connected to the lives of residents, so forming an effective self-governing organization of residents was crucial. This is why the “Resident Committee for EcoMobility Promotion” was launched by 1,280 residents of Haenggung-dong and played a leading role in the project and resident participation programs. Prior to the main event, the “Citizen Volunteer Corps” was launched in August 2013, when up to 5,936 people participated in tasks such as supporting events, translating and controlling traffic. Their activities played an important role in making the event successful.
Setup of Joint Organizing Committee for Thorough Preparation
The joint organizing committee is the top decision-making body with 11 members from organizations such as the central government, National Assembly, Suwon City Hall, Suwon City Council, businesses and civic groups. This governance body is for establishing a cooperative relationship between the central government and international organizations and thoroughly preparing for and implementing the event. An executive committee was also organized to get everything ready.
Reorganization of Public-private Partnership
The EcoMobility Promotion Team as an administrative organization of Suwon supervised the setup of infrastructure, promotion of the project at the working level such as supporting residents, and control of traffic. In the civic sector, the EcoMobility Secretariat had the Suwon Secretariat responsible for resident cooperation, cultural performances, external cooperation and public relations and the secretariat of Bonn, Germany, took charge of overseas public relations for co-host ICLEI and organizational management of international networks.
In addition, administration supporters made up of 240 veteran Suwon officials greatly contributed to supporting 2,200 Haenggung-dong households on an individual basis, promoting the event and persuading residents to participate.
Guarantee of Residents’ Convenience
The city lent about 400 bicycles free exclusively to Suwon residents and operated transport rental centers for visitors. By regularly running carts and bicycle taxis, Suwon supported residents' mobility and delivery under the control of the 24-hour all-source situation room operated by the city. Electric vehicles were also on constant alert. Six shuttle buses ran two courses between temporary parking lots outside of the city, bus stops and other venues.
Heavy loads were delivered to stores in the neighborhood by electric-powered carts or motorcycles. So what happened to cars occupying every nook and corner of Haenggung-dong? They were moved to the temporary parking lots prepared by Suwon City Hall in Yeonghwa, Yeonmu, Jangan and Yeonmu Elementary School.
Suwon operated its 24-hour call center and all-source situation room and ran shuttle buses. Traffic control was implemented to control vehicles. Emergency vehicles were ready for dealing with urgent patients at any time. In case of fire, firefighting trucks were also prepared to control fires quickly. For security, a mobile police station was in operation. Police officers moved around venues on Segways and the electric bikes.
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| 7. Who were the stakeholders involved in the design of the initiative and in its implementation?
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Change in Residents’ Perceptions
The greatest accomplishment of EcoMobility was the change in residents’ perceptions after having lived without their cars for a month. They expressed high satisfaction for general living conditions including walking, air condition and noise, and this changed their perception, by 29 percent, of EcoMobility, which is environment-friendly and considerate to the socially disadvantaged. How amazing that after the project, 7 percent of residents switched their mode of transportation -- 3 percent to public transportation, 3 percent to bicycles, and 1 percent to walking.
Planting of 470,000 Pine Trees and Creation of 1,400 Jobs
The EcoMobility project proved environmentally and economically significant. In the environmental aspect, it led to the reduction of approximately 190 tons of carbon dioxide a month, an effect to planting 470,000 pine trees. Economically, it had a production inducement effect of 103.2 million dollars at home and created about 1,400 jobs nationwide.
Huge Possibility Seen in Future
EcoMobility Suwon 2013 was a transportation policy that experimented with advanced means of future transportation.
Residents discovered the possibility of change in the existing car-centered transportation to a people-centered system. During the event, delegates from 93 cities in 37 countries adopted the declaration and the charter expressing the will of the global cities to propel EcoMobility in the EcoMobility Congress 2013.
Governance Ability Strengthened Through Participation and Communication
EcoMobility Suwon 2013, which was planned and carried out by the participation of residents and public-private cooperation, was a long and specific activity that went beyond precedent. This experience led to the revitalization of the residential community and local network and the build-up of residential autonomy and governance, instilling pride in Suwon residents.
Worldwide Recognition Through Awards
In the seventh session of the World Urban Forum in April 2014, Suwon won the U.N. Habitat Award, which is given to individuals or organizations who have made great contributions to the development of sustainable cities such as housing and improvement in quality of life. Suwon is thus the first Korean city to win this award since UN-HABITAT, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, established it in 1989. The city had earlier received an honorable mention at the 2014 Sustainable Transport Award in Washington in January 2014. In addition, Suwon won an award for excellence in urban landscape at the 2013 Korean Cityscape Grand Award sponsored by the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
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| 8. What were the most successful outputs and why was the initiative effective?
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Public Offer Process for Selecting Demonstration Area
A judging committee of four experts was set up to select the demonstration area. The committee quantitatively evaluated the residents' participation (40 points), the project’s feasibility (40) and effectiveness (20), and also qualitatively evaluated whether the area’s history and culture could be coupled with tourism, if the district could provide places for running the event effectively, and whether such investment in infrastructure would be reasonable. As a result of the evaluation, the Haenggung-dong (Sinpung and Jangan) neighborhood was selected.
Evaluation and Monitoring System for General Promotion Process
First, a working-level advisory committee of internal and external experts was launched. From the beginning of the project, five committee members gathered for advisory conferences at least 20 times to reflect the results on the promotion process.
Second, relevant organizations, religious organizations, a shopkeepers’ association and residents of Haenggung-dong held dozens of meetings and briefings and reflected the problems brought up in the plan. The offices of the Suwon mayor and the EcoMobility Promotion Team moved to the venue so that any resident or whoever could visit and propose an idea.
Third, surveys on resident satisfaction conducted by research agencies before and after the project and the results were shared with residents through public hearings.
Resident Satisfaction First
The Suwon Development Institute and Suwon Research Institute started doing various analyses based on the results of surveys on resident satisfaction. They then suggested reasonable solutions to improve the living environment, publicize EcoMobility, induce residents to participate in the project, operate alternative modes of transportation and cope with emergencies and business support. Such results were useful as data for devising detailed plans.
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| 9. What were the main obstacles encountered and how were they overcome?
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‘How Can One Live Without a Car for a Month?’
The EcoMobility World Festival Suwon 2013 required residents in Haenggung-dong to actively take part. At first, however, lots of them opposed this event so even holding a presentation was tough. Residents and shopkeepers simply could not imagine “car-free streets,” believing that without cars, few people would visit there and thus bring down the economy of the neighborhood. The shopkeepers protested and held rallies against the project.
Door-to-door Visits
But this event would simply have been impossible without residents' participation. In the end, the city had staff visit each and every resident household, sending 240 government officials who served as administrative supporters. Each team of officials were in charge of 10 households, met the residents in person, explained the project’s necessity and checked inconveniences reflected in the policy to minimize problems. The officials came up with ideas for business owners to take part in the project, provided substantial support and arranged loans for them. For the neighborhood economy, 3,000 government workers in the campaign encouraged people to go shopping in Haenggung-dong. This is how city officials met people living there. The intent was a slow but steady approach for “a walk in the city.“
Residents as Subjects of ‘EcoMobility World Festival Suwon 2013’
After a while, residents began to understand the project staff’s sincere efforts and open their minds. The residents started playing leading roles in the EcoMobility Suwon 2013 and prepared events such as a food festival, exhibitions, traditional activities, and a traditional Korean music festival.
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