The “Act on the Promotion of Building Service Industry,” which is the only existing law that defines public buildings, stipulates that public institutions should endeavor to realize the public values of buildings. The relevant legal system has prescribed the procedures public institutions, including national and local governments, should follow, as well as the reasonable way of selecting experts. However, there is a limitation to restricting the realization of public values in public architecture to the fairness of the providers, and the importance of improving the publicness produced through the interactions between the providers and users has increased.

In response, the National Public Building Center has taken a user-centered approach since 2021 to present plans that correspond with the project types with a focus on the role of the providers. The center researched public sports centers and community service centers in 2021 and 2022, and in 2023, aimed to present public engagement plans with a focus on remodeling projects. The scope of research was limited to remodeling (substantial repair, partial extension of buildings, and alterations). This study examined current plans for remodeling projects set by national and local public building centers and their user-friendliness based on the recent system and policies related to remodeling in Korea. Major case studies that considered users were identified and the planning process was analyzed in detail. In addition, key directions and policy implications for considering users in public building remodeling projects were presented.

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