Chris BruntlettChris Bruntlett Verified • 2ndInternational Relations at Dutch Cycling EmbassyInternational Relations at Dutch Cycling Embassy1 day ago • Visible to anyone on or off LinkedIn
In the heart of Seoul, a ribbon of water now threads through where an expanse of asphalt once stood. The Cheonggyecheon Stream restoration, which replaced a major elevated motorway with an ecological and recreational corridor, has become a powerful case study in placemaking and traffic evaporation.
For hundreds of years, a natural stream ran along the site, until it was covered with concrete to make way for post-war modernisation. By the mid-1990s, the aging motorway structure carried tens of thousands of motor vehicles daily—along with their negative externalities—but was badly deteriorating.
In 2002, Lee Myung-bak, then mayor of Seoul, made restoring Cheonggyecheon a central point of his campaign. On taking office, he fast-tracked the project. Over 27 months from 2002 to 2005, the elevated motorway over the stream was removed, the concrete covering peeled back, and a new riverbed built.
The restored river is 5.8 km long, with 22 bridges crossing over it. Along its banks, pedestrian walkways, lower-level terraces, stepped entries to water, linear parks and greenery were introduced. Flood control infrastructure was integrated, allowing it to safely handle substantial rainfall events.
The removal of the expressway led to measurable environmental improvements: urban heat dropped up to 5.9°C compared to parallel roads. Air pollutants and small particulates reduced up to 35%. Biodiversity rebounded, with many more species of plants, fish, birds, insects and mammals now found there.
Critics initially worried removing a major artery would cause gridlock. But in practice, impacts were mitigated through expanded public transport, traffic control measures, and changes in road usage. Some traffic “evaporated” rather than being displaced. Bus and metro use increased post-restoration.
Two decades after the Cheonggyecheon motorway removal, this waterway is now deeply embedded in Seoul’s identity: as a place to meet, walk, breathe and enjoy. For other metropolises dealing with aging auto-infrastructure, it is living proof of what’s possible when a city dares to let go of the road.
For hundreds of years, a natural stream ran along the site, until it was covered with concrete to make way for post-war modernisation. By the mid-1990s, the aging motorway structure carried tens of thousands of motor vehicles daily—along with their negative externalities—but was badly deteriorating.
In 2002, Lee Myung-bak, then mayor of Seoul, made restoring Cheonggyecheon a central point of his campaign. On taking office, he fast-tracked the project. Over 27 months from 2002 to 2005, the elevated motorway over the stream was removed, the concrete covering peeled back, and a new riverbed built.
The restored river is 5.8 km long, with 22 bridges crossing over it. Along its banks, pedestrian walkways, lower-level terraces, stepped entries to water, linear parks and greenery were introduced. Flood control infrastructure was integrated, allowing it to safely handle substantial rainfall events.
The removal of the expressway led to measurable environmental improvements: urban heat dropped up to 5.9°C compared to parallel roads. Air pollutants and small particulates reduced up to 35%. Biodiversity rebounded, with many more species of plants, fish, birds, insects and mammals now found there.
Critics initially worried removing a major artery would cause gridlock. But in practice, impacts were mitigated through expanded public transport, traffic control measures, and changes in road usage. Some traffic “evaporated” rather than being displaced. Bus and metro use increased post-restoration.
Two decades after the Cheonggyecheon motorway removal, this waterway is now deeply embedded in Seoul’s identity: as a place to meet, walk, breathe and enjoy. For other metropolises dealing with aging auto-infrastructure, it is living proof of what’s possible when a city dares to let go of the road.
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