Housing abandonment in shrinking cities of East Asia: Case study in Incheon, South Korea

Youngmee Jeon and Saehoon Kim
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Youngmee Jeon: Seoul National University, Republic of Korea
Saehoon Kim: Seoul National University, Republic of Korea

Urban Studies, 2020, vol. 57, issue 8, 1749-1767

Abstract: Despite growing signs of urban shrinkage in countries such as Korea, Japan and China, few studies have examined the generalisable pattern of urban shrinkage and its relationship to the characteristics of housing abandonment in the East Asian context. This study explores five major paths that may explain the emergence of vacant houses in declining inner-city areas, based on empirical observations in the city of Incheon, South Korea. The paths are: (1) strong government-led new built-up area development plans (pull factor for population movement); (2) delay and cancellation of indiscriminate redevelopment projects (push factor for population movement); (3) initial poor development and concentration of substandard houses; (4) aging of the elderly population; and (5) the outflow of infrastructure and services. These paths, also found in Japan or China, are expected to be combined in a local context, leading to more serious housing abandonment. This study suggests that it is important to take appropriate countermeasures based on the identification of the paths causing vacant houses.

Keywords: aging population; developmental state; East Asia; inner city; urban shrinkage; vacant houses; äººå £è€ é¾„åŒ–; å ‘å±•çŠ¶æ€; 东亚; 内城; 城市收缩; 空置房屋 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:57:y:2020:i:8:p:1749-1767

DOI: 10.1177/0042098019852024

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