Sustainability of Historical Landscape to Gwanghalluwon Garden in Namwon City, Korea

The present study was intend to track down the transitional process in which the hierarchical dominance in the urban structure of Namwon City shifted from the Namwoneupseong Walled Town to the area of Gwanghalluwon Garden by using cadastral data and various historical sources. It was aimed to find the factors regarding the transition and a sustainable development plan to the historical landscape. The results were as follows: First, the urban structure of former Namwon City has succeeded to a typical grid street structure of walled town. However, land use and urban landscape to an existing grid street structure and a modified grid street structure was formed by development of transportation in the city. In addition, as the fortress was demolished, land development expanded east and west along the railroad and Yochun River. Accordingly, the central areas of Namwon City also expanded and shifted from Namwoneupseong Walled Town to the new towns in the adjacent area. Secondly, lots transformation process of Gwanghalluwon Garden started the changing by transitioning from the pavilion of a past government office to tourist attraction in the novel Chunhyang-jeon , written during the Joseon Dynasty. It was transformed into the current area of Gwanghalluwon Garden through the regional expansion project in the 1960s, and the relocation of neighboring market in the 1970s by the conflagration. And Namwon County purchased these lands. Later, Gwanghalluwon Garden was designated a cultural asset and the current shape of Gwanghalluwon Garden has been preserved since then. Third, The secret of how Gwanghalluwon Garden has been able to survive as a “dominated landscape” is likely to be found in the relationship between the development of the city (external factor), historical landscapes (internal factor), and complex interactions of history, geography, culture, etc. Furthermore, each factor has served as a unique element in developing Gwanghalluwon Garden into a famous site. Now, people perceive the area surrounding Gwanghalluwon Garden as a valuable space. Fourth, to preserve Gwanghalluwon Garden’s important legacy as a historical landscape, it is necessary to shed new light on the awareness of values accumulated over time. Accordingly, the process by which a historical resource evolves in value, urban functions, and culture can be expected to have “unpredictable positive effects” in areas where cultural acts occur and society, environment, economics, etc. serve as motives to preserve the historical resource.