The effects of urban greenways on the geography of office sectors and employment density in Seoul, Korea

摘要

The replacement of freeways with urban greenways is a major urban physical renovation that makes cities greener and more liveable. This study examines the effects of the urban greenway in Seoul on the choice of office locations and on the variation in employment density. Our multilevel models confirm that Seoul's urban greenway tends to attract and retain firms in office sectors within a kilometre, while the freeway provides a favourable infrastructure for the geography of service industries. In addition, employment density increased within a 1.2km zone surrounding the urban greenway, in contrast to the freeway, which only had a similar effect within a 600m zone. These key findings suggest that amenity-oriented public investment is a highly effective strategy to render urban settings appealing to office sectors and to improve employment density.