Seoul To Shade All Sidewalks By 2028 To Combat Heatwaves

SEOUL, Aug 19 (Bernama-Yonhap) – The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Wednesday a sweeping urban initiative to provide continuous shaded paths along city sidewalks from 2028, framing extreme heat as a critical public safety threat, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon unveiled the policy to guarantee people’s “right to walk on shaded streets” during a press briefing at City Hall, stressing the urgency of the matter.

“Heatwaves are no longer a temporary discomfort that passes if you endure them for several days,” Oh said. “As they grow stronger and last longer, they have become an everyday disaster threatening the lives and safety of citizens.”

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, 31.4 per cent of the 815 cases of heat-related illness reported in Seoul between 2023 and 2025 occurred on streets.

The city government plans to implement a three-step strategy: identifying vulnerable zones, establishing tailored shade solutions and connecting walking routes.

Where possible, the city also plans to plant additional trees and, in other areas, install seasonal awnings, canopies and small shelters.

Once completed, the shaded paths will link residential areas to subway stations, schools, markets, hospitals and parks.

“We will make shade not just a convenience facility in select places, but a basic urban service that protects the health and daily lives of citizens,” Oh said.

The initiative will begin with a pilot programme on 10 streets with high pedestrian traffic and will run through 2027. Following an evaluation, the shaded pedestrian network will be expanded citywide in 2028.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP 

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