Decommissioning gas stations in Seoul: Determinants of closure and land-use transitions

Jihyun Han and Saehoon Kim

Land Use Policy, 2026, vol. 166, issue C

Abstract: Global decarbonization is rendering legacy infrastructure like gas stations obsolete. This study analyzes gas station closure dynamics in Seoul, South Korea (2009–2023), treating them as stranded assets in a city undergoing a rapid energy transition. Using a novel mixed-method design that integrates geographic information system (GIS), logistic regression, and qualitative interviews, we analyze 223 decommissioned stations to link closure determinants with post-closure land-use transitions. Our findings revealed that sites in commercial zones were 82% more likely to close (OR = 1.818, p < 0.05). Additionally, greater competition and proximity to subways emerged as significant predictors of closure (p < 0.1). Contrary to conventional assumptions, closures were driven by location-specific economic pressures and urban structural factors rather than by declining fuel demand alone. Post-closure land-use analysis revealed diverse transformation pathways. While the transitions were dominated by residential (27.8%) and commercial (27.3%) developments, 45.7% of the sites fell within district-unit planning zones, indicating a strategic urban planning influence. These findings provide crucial insights for urban planners and policymakers to manage the transition of fossil-fuel infrastructure in the context of sustainable urban development.

Keywords: Decarbonization; Infrastructure transition; Gas station closure; Land-use conversion; Spatial analysis; Seoul (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837726001055
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:166:y:2026:i:c:s0264837726001055

DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2026.108021

Access Statistics for this article

Land Use Policy is currently edited by Jaap Zevenbergen

More articles in Land Use Policy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Joice Jiang ().