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This study analyzes the social discourse and perception structures surrounding Seoul’s Rapid Integrated Planning policy. A final sample of 7,211 news articles from September 2021 to August 2025 was analyzed using a HITL-based heuristic ensemble topic modeling approach, which integrates generative AI with human expertise. The findings reveal a dual perception structure positive expectations for accelerated housing supply versus concerns over speculation and project feasibility. These results emphasize the need for enhanced enforcement during implementation and a realistic refinement of the policy framework to ensure successful policy settlement.

This study finds that the metropolitan housing market exhibits asymmetric responses whose intensity and speed vary depending on business cycle fluctuations in core industries and broader macroeconomic conditions. The results suggest that the housing market in the metropolitan area cannot be explained solely by supply–demand fundamentals, but rather reflects changes in expectations and risk perceptions associated with developments in other sectors of the real economy. Furthermore, differences across lag structures are observed in the short- and long-run adjustment processes, indicating that downturns in core industries may amplify housing market risks. These findings imply that housing policy should be implemented with greater caution regarding both the timing and intensity of interventions, particularly during periods of economic slowdown.

This study aims to establish a physical environmental framework for Aging in Place (AIP) by identifying and applying evaluation factors to neighborhood living areas. Through literature review, interviews with pre-elderly and elderly individuals, and expert focus group interviews, three main categories—pedestrian, transportation, and living environments—comprising six subcategories and 18 detailed factors were derived. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) analysis revealed the pedestrian environment (0.355) as the most critical, emphasizing safety and mobility. Both general and expert groups prioritized safety-related items such as emergency bells, CCTV, and barrier-free walkways. Differences emerged between groups: middle-aged participants emphasized mobility efficiency, while elderly participants valued stable, accessible environments. Experts highlighted physical improvements and accessible transport systems. These findings suggest that AIP-oriented neighborhood planning should prioritize safe, barrier-free mobility systems integrated with community facilities to support independent and sustainable living for older adults.

This study estimates the probability of housing vacancy occurrence in rural Sangju and develops differentiated management strategies by operationalizing these probabilities into grid-based spatial information. Drawing on 2022 vacant house survey data, a comparative analysis of five machine learning models identified XGBoost as the most robust predictor. SHAP-based interpretations further revealed that small housing size, older building age, and an aging population are the primary drivers of vacancy. Furthermore, the study proposes a four-tiered management framework - Intensive Intervention, Current Management, Preventive Management, and Monitoring - providing a systematic basis for policy prioritization. Ultimately, this research illustrates that machine learning–driven spatial diagnostics can serve as a practical foundation for proactive and evidence-based rural vacancy management, demonstrating how empirical diagnostics and policy design can be organically integrated.

This study examines why substantial performance gaps exist among top-tier global arenas, even within the same elite market segment. Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), the study analyzes 60 arenas drawn from Pollstar’s 2025 Top 200 list, comparing the top 30 and bottom 30 venues by ticket sales. Rather than treating arena performance as the outcome of single factors such as city size, national income, or central-city location, the study adopts a configurational perspective to identify combinations of conditions associated with high performance. Five conditions are examined: national purchasing power, global operating networks, public transport accessibility, central business district location, and development type. The findings reveal multiple equifinal pathways to high performance, demonstrating that no single “optimal” arena model exists. High-performing arenas emerge through different combinations of urban accessibility, operational networks, and development strategies, while low performance is associated with the accumulation of missing conditions. The study contributes to urban and cultural infrastructure research by reframing arena success as a configurational outcome and offers strategic implications for arena planning and cultural infrastructure investment in diverse urban contexts.

This study examines the structural relationships between residents’ perceptions of the role performance of local governments and urban regeneration support centers and resident participation from a post-project perspective. The analysis is based on survey data from residents in the Wondang Urban Regeneration Area in Goyang City, where the project was completed in December 2021. Measurement items were derived from prior studies and expert focus group interviews, and the data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Group-specific analyses show that, among residents without experience in urban regeneration.related organizations, the perceived role performance of both local governments and support centers is significantly associated with resident participation. Among residents with such experience, only the perceived role performance of support centers shows a significant positive association with resident participation, suggesting that residents’ perceptions of these actors’ role performance may differ depending on their participation experiences.

The purpose of this study is to examine a more rational method for calculating the public contribution amount when applying the Pre-Negotiation System for Changes in Urban Planning to industrial areas and to analyze its comparability with the land value increase standard. Because the change from an industrial area to a residential area involves a decrease in the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) and significant changes in unit price, the traditional ‘incremental FAR-based calculation’ is difficult to apply. The study calculated the public contribution amount when changing to a Third-Grade General Residential Area by modifying the FAR-based method using the ‘relative price index’ (βB) determined by comparing sales prices of Knowledge Industry Centers and apartments. The analysis showed that the public contribution amount was yielded a positive value even with a decrease in FAR. The public contribution rate was low (3.5~6.5%) in areas maintaining industrial clusters a nd h igh (2 0.0–32.0%) in areas with high residential preference, a trend similar to calculations based on land value increment. Furthermore, the recovery rate (R) of land value appreciation that equated the two calculation methods ranged from 55.1–96.1% in high-preference areas, suggesting that existing governmental standards (60–70%) are appropriate. This modified FAR-based method can contribute to reducing conflict and shortening the negotiation period by enabling the early prediction of the public contribution amount range.

Industrial zones were once key to economic growth, but due to structural changes in the industry, aging infrastructure, and the prevalence of small businesses, they are losing their ability to innovate on their own. The Urban Industrial Zone Act was enacted in 2021 to revitalize aging industrial zones. However, key financial support provisions remain largely declarative, rendering them ineffective for actual project implementation. This study proposes institutional improvements to facilitate the smooth implementation of industrial zone redevelopment projects and enhance the effectiveness of the Urban Industrial Zone Act. These improvements include specificizing financial support, expanding financial and tax benefits, streamlining administrative procedures, and relaxing mandatory standards for establishing master plans for industrial zones. These improvements lay the foundation for aging industrial zones to establish themselves as new hubs for urban innovation.

This study examines the management and operation methods of public underground commercial streets, which are a type of urban planning facility, in accordance with the purposes of urban management plans. It aims to derive a multidimensional interpretation based on various legal grounds. First, the study reviews key issues related to development, maintenance, and preservation under the National Land Planning and Utilization Act from the perspective of urban management planning. Most importantly, it identifies directions to ensure consistency and legitimacy, which are utilized in various criteria across different regions. To this end, the study explores alternatives for enhancing public value by converting public underground commercial streets currently operated as administrative properties. It also reviews the management criteria for public underground commercial streets according to the relevant laws and proposed alternative management principles that local governments can adopt from the perspectives of uban management planning. To secure the public nature of underground pedestrian passages while maintaining business vitality, it is necessary to entrust their management and operation to specialized organizations.

This study compares Korea’s Industrial Complex Environmental Improvement Fund and Japan’s Urban Regeneration Investment Support Project (Machi-Regeneration Equity Program) to identify governance factors influencing regeneration effectiveness. Applying a Most Similar Systems Design (MSSD), the research controls for similar socio-economic challenges while analyzing differences through a three-dimensional framework: Structure, Mechanism, and Scope. Findings reveal that Korea’s multi-layered, government-led structure constrains timely decision-making and relies heavily on preferred equity, limiting its catalytic impact on private capital. In contrast, Japan’s MINTO organization, functioning as an independent third-sector institution, facilitates diversified financing and strategic risk-sharing. The study concludes that enhancing institutional autonomy, diversifying investment portfolios, and adopting performance-based management are critical for improving the effectiveness and sustainability of Korea’s public investment model.