Pedestrian Abroad
“As a practicing planner and nontraditional student earning a master’s online, I am grateful I was able to study abroad in Seoul, South Korea. The program’s focus on sustainable urbanism, led by Dr. Misun Hur, sparked my interest because of its emphasis on transportation, the environment, and architecture.
Although I learned about various planning topics during my time in Seoul, I focused my studies on the pedestrians’ experience. Leading up to my arrival, I expected Seoul to function like the several large cities I have experienced; Seoul’s walkability surpassed my expectations.
Seoullo7017 view
Walking around Seoul, I saw ample sidewalks with seating, umbrellas, and trees. There were many wide crosswalks with a generous amount of time to cross, pedestrian refuge islands to wait halfway, and many cars yield to pedestrians. These infrastructure choices made me feel very encouraged, safe, and comfortable walking.
During our trip, we visited several projects that improved walking in Seoul, such as a former highway removed to restore a river, a landfill transformed into a park, and a plaza expanded for pedestrian use. We also met and listened to presentations by the individuals who designed several of the projects we visited. I appreciated meeting and learning from these professionals as it deepened my understanding of the project’s context and implementation.
Understanding the implementation process of these projects will help me implement pedestrian-friendly infrastructure in my career. For instance, my community is currently working towards a pedestrian refuge island across a state route. This project will help pedestrians from a rail trail safely cross several lanes of traffic to access the downtown. Not only will pedestrians be safer, but they will be able to access more amenities on foot. I hope to make pedestrians in my community feel as encouraged, safe, and comfortable walking as I experienced in Seoul.
I gained a new perspective from my trip to South Korea, which is already demonstrated in my work as a planner.”
– Lauren Russell, graduate student in Master’s in Planning and Development
