Urban regeneration projects are field-oriented projects based on residents’ participation unlike public-led projects implemented previously. As a result, the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) has deployed field coordinators in charge of building residents’ capability and promoting projects in urban regeneration areas. As of 2019, a total of 37 urban regeneration areas was designated across the city with increased demand for field coordinators. However, there is a lack of consensus on the role and regulations for field coordinators. The education and training of field coordinators is still in early stages, with inadequate customized education and on-site demand. Therefore, it is necessary to re-establish the role of field coordinators appropriate for the city’s regeneration policy and local demand from urban regeneration areas.
This study aims at enhancing the site-oriented implementation system by establishing the role of each promoter in the urban regeneration project of Seoul. In particular, the field coordinator will strengthen his/her role as an expert in urban regeneration projects, and serve as a mediator between local administration, residents and stakeholders. In order to strengthen the long-term role and vision of the coordinator, the coordinators are expected to work as a local expert in urban regeneration and facilitate residents’ participation in the community.
This study also suggests measures to improve the education system organized by the Regional Urban Regeneration Support Center (RURSC) as ways to empower the capability of the field coordinator. In the short term, it is necessary to systematically develop the educational content to empower the field coordinator in conjunction with the on-site demands and to diversify the educational methods. In the long term, current education courses needs to be segmented and a system of promotion introduced by completing a step-by-step course. Accordingly, each field coordinator will be able to obtain certification and finally enhance their professional vision.
In order to facilitate the key role played by field coordinators in urban regeneration projects and to strengthen their capabilities, it is important to proceed with the projects based on individual sites and to create institutional grounds such as ordinances for field coordinators serving as regional experts. Further, to realize the short- and long-term educational golds suggested in this study, it is required to construct a specialized pool of instructors in various fields by reinforcing the manpower and budget of the metropolitan center, manage the trainee records, and systematically develop teaching materials for each phase.