In a television soap opera or movie, a couple often walks together on a path through a forest. This melodramatic scene is framed beautifully, so the place appearing in the scene is chosen with care. These paths exist in specific places, not on common streets. The Chung-Ang Herald (CAH) examines the actual conditions of street environments and developments.

1. Street trees
On the street, there are trees. These trees have some functional advantages. They absorb solar heat and harmful gases, so air is cleaned. They decrease the effects of fog, rain and snow, and trees lining on streets also make people feel comfortable. In Korea, most of these street trees are ‘Maiden Hair Trees’ or ‘Plane Trees’. Of course, there are some other kinds of trees.
Last year, the Ministry of Planning and Budget announced that there were 30 different cases of budget waste. Most of these cases were related to planting street trees and changing sidewalk blocks. This phenomenon has occurred, because when the end of the year comes, local governments spent the remainder of their budget on these projects. As a result of the excessive planting, there are narrow spaces on the side walks.  Furthermore, the Ministry of Planning and Budget announced that approximately 290 million won will be saved if the budget waste cases were corrected.

2. A trash can
After drinking a soda or eating an ice cream cone, you can not easily find a trash can to throw away the packing paper or plastic bottles. Because of the execution of the volume-rate garbage disposal system from 1995 and the Korea-Japan World Cup events in 2002, a number of trash cans have been decreasing. The number of trash cans, which were installed all over the Seoul area, has decreased from 7,000 cans in 1997 to just 4000 in 2007. Regardless of the intended good purpose for doing this, the decreasing number of trash cans brought on some reverse side effects. For example, if trash does not go into a trash can, because it is full, the trash piles up and over flows. People continue to throw their trash on top of the pile of trash, because they assume someone will come by and pick up the trash. As a result, trash cans, which are made to clean the street, conversely made the street unclean. Then what kind of awareness is needed to correct this problem? Preferentially, citizens who possess trash should take it back to their home. Citizens should willingly accept small discomforts in consideration of environmental conservation.
        
3. Lawn
Warning signs, ‘keep off the grass’, are easily found in Korea. People naturally accept this phrase and think grass should be protected. However, in a Botanic garden in Sydney, Australia, there is a phrase, ‘Please walk on the grass’. In fact, many foreign countries’ botanic gardens have such phrases, because walking on the grass helps it keep at an optimum level and makes maintenance work easier. Why then does this difference happen between Korea and foreign countries? For example, in Europe, climatic change is not as severe as Korean climatic changes. So, it is easier to maintain lawns throughout the year. As a result of natural lawn insufficiency, a lot of artificial turfs are installed in schools. When installing and maintaining costs are considered, artificial turfs look quite practical. Furthermore, developing student’s physical strength is expected. But according to municipalities, carcinogenic substances (substances which cause cancer) were found in some schools’ artificial turfs.

4. A bench
Except in a subway or bus station, public squares or specific spaces, we can not easily find a place to sit. Insufficiency of space brings insufficiency of benches. In fact, the problem is not about the number of benches, but about the distribution of the benches. Considering the number and movements of pedestrians, benches should be placed in the proper places. Maintenance of the benches is also an important matter.

CAH: Why are most of the street trees planted in Korea are‘Maiden Hair Trees’ and ‘Plane Trees’?
Lee: It is because Korea followed the example of Japan. ‘Maiden Hair Trees’ and ‘Plane Trees’ once occupied more than 80 percent of the trees in Tokyo. But to change the city’s image, the ‘Zelkova Tree’ was selected. Tokyo established a policy that any other variety of trees must not exceed 10 percent of total tree population, except for the ‘Zelkova Tree’. This process has taken 20 years to be completed. So, if certain cities in Korea plan to change the variety of their street tree’s species, a long term master plan is needed. But actually, it is hard to accomplish a program of changing species of street trees by local governments, because the head‘s of the local government only serve four year terms of office.

CAH: How well can artificial turf substitute natural turf?
Lee: Artificial turf is an industrial product, not an organism. It can’t absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen. However, it can generate harmful substances, so clay ground can be better than an artificial turf if it is not dusty. Ideally, planting natural turf on the ground is the best. 

CAH: What is the actual condition of the green areas of the land in the city streets?
Lee: The gross green area ratio in Seoul is 26 percent. But the higher number of mammals, such as human-being, needs at least 30 percent of green areas. So, the green area of Seoul is quite insufficient. And the maintenance workers planting the street trees, which are planted in the city, have a tendency to not care about the appearance of the street and function. In Shinjuku there are old trees, which were selected among two thousand five hundred seeds. Approximately, a hundred trees exist today, because the Japanese didn’t plant any trees, but selected seeds very carefully.

CAH: Please explain how street landscape architecture will progress.
Lee: Among the asphalt roads and numerous skyscrapers, the green areas should be part of the landscaping. If there is not enough green area in a city, foreign tourists may feel dry and they will never come again. Korea is under this danger, because streets in the cities have no national traits. It is because we have lost our identity and just follow foreign countries’ scenery. Green areas can be a source of attracting tourists, but in Korea, this source is not utilized properly. This important element should be used that the area be used effectively.
The most important thing to the street trees is its beauty. The ecological function is also important. Planting double or triple lines of street trees make it possible for wild animals to enter the city. It can help to change the city’s image.

Near the National 4.19 Democratic Cemetery, there is a path that Mugunghwa (the Rose of Sharon) trees are planted. In this same manner, unusual street landscape architecture must be tried and used continually, because of its beauty.
In Paris, street trees are regarded as works of art. There are gardeners who obtain a certificate of qualification, and approximately fifty billion won are invested to the street tree maintenance programs every year.
In Seoul, the Design Seoul Street Project is in progress. This project is aimed to give regularity to the visual environment. A style of penmanship, color of Seoul, an outdoor billboard and many other works are in progress.
A common point of the above three examples are an importance of beauty. Though there are many problems left in the Korean streets landscape architecture, the environment of the Korea city streets should become more artistic, while solving the existing problems.