Taipei, April 15 (CNA) An ongoing exhibition at the Taipei World Trade Center highlights new images of Tokyo and Seoul, both of which have devoted strenuous efforts to urban redevelopment in recent years.
The exhibition is being held in connection with the just-concluded fifth plenary meeting of the Asian Network of Major Cities 21 (ANMC21) hosted by the Taipei City Government.
Cheonggyecheon Restoration Project, which was completed in September 2005, brought back the vitality of downtown Seoul, transforming an area of concrete-covered stream and elevated highway into a leading tourist attraction.
In Tokyo's Akihabara district, the birth of "Akihabara Crossfield" complex aimed at expanding the famous district of eletronic goods to an "IT (Information Technology) hub." The complex was opened in March.
The ancient Cheonggyecheon stream was concreted over in the 1960s to resolve road problems and an elevated highway was constructed on top of the road later. However it started to pose safety and environment concerns for the city.
Led by Seoul Mayor Lee Myung Bak, who launched a "Vision Seoul 2006" initiative, the city of Seoul spent 386.7 billion South Korea won (12 billion $NT) and 27 months to complete the successful project, which has been reported by numerous international media.
Akihabara Crossfield project also tried to bring a "makeover" for an old district. As a part of "Tokyo Plan 2000, " the Tokyo Metropolitan Government released "Urban Development Guidelines for the Akihabara Area" in 2001, highlighting its intent "to create a global center for the IT industry."
The complex consists of two super-highrise buildings: Akihabara Daibiru Building and Akihabara UDX. It is expected to be a new focal point for the Akihabara district, holding areas for Industry-Academia Collaboration, information networking, and attractions for visitors.
Taipei City, which is hosting the Fifth Plenary Meeting of the ANMC21, also has been devoted to various urban redevelopment projects. It has submitted the concept of "Reverse the axis of development. Redevelop the western district, " which seeks to revamp the west side -- the earliest developed area of Taipei.
The estimated budget of urban redevelopment projects in Taipei City this year amounts to NT$40 billion.