Effect of the socio-environmental characteristics and facilities on the local retail clusters in Seoul, South Korea

Commercial clusters, referred to as local retail clusters, have driven economic vitality in numerous regions, especially in areas with a high concentration of residences, influenced by the land use and zoning policies of respective metropolitan cities. These clusters vary widely in terms of their type and location. However, limited research has been conducted on the forms of these retail clusters and how they are maintained, and how socio-environmental characteristics and functional factors collectively influence their scale. To address this gap, this study explores three functional categories of local retail clusters in Seoul, South Korea. Using 1,497 retail clusters, a comparative analysis was performed using 19 variables to assess the effect on the scale of commercial clusters from the perspectives of urban spatial characteristics, facilities, and accessibility. The results indicated that factors such as mobility, accessibility, recreational places, and physical properties related to the number of public institutions consistently affected the retail area across all types of clusters. In contrast, sales, the number of stores, recreational and cultural facilities affected each type of retail cluster differently. This study highlights the essential role of retail clusters in enhancing urban life and calls for effective city management and further research to optimize their impact.