A spine-like design has won a global competition to masterplan a self-sufficient community for up to 350,000 residents that will also join North and South Korea with the world’s longest bridge.
The sustainable 300 square-kilometre masterplan includes a central transportation spine. A range of low to high-density mixed-use areas will be connected by a Light Rapid Transit system and construction will be phased over 10 to 15 years.
The project, which will be an extension of the Incheon Free Economic Zone in South Korea, will become a national centre for sustainable industry: manufacturing photovoltaic panels and wind turbines, and developing new products and technology within a new research and development institute in the south of KangHwa.
State-of-the-art measures employed within the masterplan include biomass energy generation, the use of hydrogen fuel cells and hydroponic roofs.
Grant Brooker, a design director at Foster + Partners, said: “Working at a very strategic level, we saw the masterplan as an opportunity to explore the sustainable potential of this extraordinary island, exploiting its pivotal position close to Seoul and its rugged landscape. We are delighted that the judges share our vision and, along with our collaborators at A+U, PHA and MIC, we hope to develop the project into the next stage.”
