Development of an Evaluation Framework for the Renewal of Aging Urban Parks†

Urban parks in South Korea that were designated and developed during the period of rapid urban expansion have increasingly exhibited signs of physical deterioration. In recent years, urban park renewal projects have been actively promoted at the city level. However, clear criteria for selecting target sites and setting priorities for redevelopment remain ambiguous. This study aims to develop an evaluation framework for the renewal of deteriorated urban parks and to propose a systematic approach for selecting renewal target sites. The framework consists of two stages: (1) an assessment of physical deterioration in parks, and (2) an evaluation of their performance. The first—stage evaluation considers three physical components—facilities, circulation paths, and green spaces—based on their degree of aging caused by time and usage intensity. Parks where the physically deteriorated area exceeds 10% of the total park area were selected for the second—stage performance evaluation. The performance evaluation includes six criteria—spatial functionality, green space functionality, environmental quality, convenience, maintenance, and accessibility—derived from the essential functions required of urban parks and the strategic direction for future renewal. Based on the evaluation results, parks were classified into renewal target sites and partial improvement sites. The case study was conducted in Incheon Metropolitan City, targeting 205 deteriorated parks across eight urban districts, including neighborhood parks, cultural parks, and children’s parks. The proposed evaluation framework provides a foundational tool for identifying renewal priorities in urban park management and is meaningful in that it reflects a paradigm shift in the role and function of contemporary urban parks.