Analyzing the Physical Characteristics of School Boundaries as Urban Interfaces : A Case Study of Yeongdong 2 District

Purpose: This study examines the physical characteristics of school boundaries and proposes strategies for their reconfiguration as communicative urban interfaces. Although there is a growing demand for schools to serve as community hubs, prevailing defensive architectural approaches perpetuate spatial disconnection and further isolate educational institutions from the surrounding urban context. Method: Twenty-three schools in Seoul’s Yeongdong 2 District were analyzed within a grid context to control for topographical variables. An analytical framework that synthesized theories on pedestrian-friendly scale, active frontage, and social interaction (e.g., Jan Gehl, William H. Whyte) was employed. Field surveys systematically measured three dimensions: Scale (boundary length and segmentation), Edge Zone (cross-sectional composition), and Openness (visual transparency and physical access). Result: The findings indicate a predominance of impermeable, defensive boundary typologies, resulting in a degraded pedestrian environment and constrained opportunities for social interaction. The average segment length of 83.7 meters does not provide the human-scale rhythm conducive to pedestrian engagement, and physical permeability is minimal, averaging approximately 3%. Visual openness is further compromised by the frequent use of retaining walls, thereby diminishing the potential for natural surveillance. Accordingly, this study argues that reconfiguring school boundaries from barriers to interfaces is critical for reconciling the demands of educational security with the imperatives of urban connectivity, thereby revitalizing the relationship between schools and their respective local communities.