The 8th Architecture & Urban Policy Research Network 

The Architecture & Urban Research Institute (AURI) held the 8th Architecture & Urban Policy Research Network from April 11 (Tuesday) to April 12 (Wednesday) at Gongju Youth Center and the Jemincheon Stream area. The Architecture & Urban Policy Research Network has been playing a central role in promoting collaborative research on local architectural and urban issues by partnering with local development research institutions each year.

This year, the event focused on "Strategies for Revitalizing Local Areas in an Era of Population Decline." The participants explored policy directions and cooperative research initiatives issues by discussing issues faced by local cities in the era of population decline, government policies for regional revitalization, and the roles of private entities.

On the first day, April 11, there were presentations and discussions on local issues and policy measures related to population decline.

The presentations included topics such as "Integrated Management and Utilization of Vacant Real Estate in the Era of Shrinking Cities" by Junhong Im, Senior Research Fellow at ChungNam Institute, "Solutions for Local Issues Through Increased Resident Population" by Osang Kwon, CEO of Puzzlelab, "Public-Private Cooperation for Village Regeneration" by Zoosun Yoon, Professor at Chungnam National University, and "Pilot Project Initiatives for the Sustainability of Rural Areas in Crisis" by Sujeong Seo, Senior Research Fellow at AURI. Following the presentations, a comprehensive discussion was led by Sujeong Seo, with the participation of Jonghyun Ryu, Senior Research Fellow at Gangwon Research Institute, Dongyeong Kim, Research Fellow at Jeonbuk Institute, and Bongcheol Park, Research Fellow at Busan Development Institute's Population Impact Assessment Center. They discussed practical solutions for the presented issues.

On the second day, April 12, the participants visited the downtown area of Gongju and had discussions with experts from local development research institutions. A regional regeneration meeting was also held, providing an opportunity to contemplate policy directions related to regional revitalization, including the issue of youth migration to Gongju.