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

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. 尽管在韩国、日本和中国等国家，城市收缩的迹象越来越明显，但很少有研宄考察城市收 缩的普遍模式及其与东亚地区弃房特征的关系。本研宄基于在韩国仁川市的经验观察，探 索了五条主要路径，这五条路径可以解释衰退的市中心地区空置房屋的出现。这五条途径 是：（I)强有力的政府主导的新建成区发展计划（人口流动的拉动因素）；（2)拖延和取消 无差别再开发项目（人口流动的推动因素）；（3)初始开发不良，不合格房屋集中；（4)老 年人口老龄化；（5)基础设施和服务外流。这些途径在日本或中国也可以找到，预计将与 当地情况结合导致更严重的房屋遗弃。本研宄表明，在确定空置房屋产生路径的基础上采 取适当的对策十分重要。