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Busan unveils first comprehensive waterfront management plan
Haps Magazine Korea
August 20, 2026
(Photo courtesy of Haps Magazine Korea)
Busan is taking a citywide approach to managing its coastline and rivers with the introduction of its first comprehensive waterfront management plan, covering approximately 680 kilometers of coastal and riverfront areas.
The city will hold a public hearing today at Busan City Hall to gather feedback from residents and experts on the proposed Busan Waterfront Management Master Plan before it is finalized later this year.
The plan combines 400 kilometers of coastline and 280 kilometers of rivers into a single long-term management framework.
It is intended to establish consistent planning guidelines for waterfront areas, which have previously been managed under separate systems and standards.
Built around the vision of creating a waterfront city where people and nature coexist, the proposal emphasizes three guiding principles: resilience, public accessibility, and vitality.
It also outlines five key goals focused on creating healthy, open, active, safe, and sustainable waterfront spaces.
To reflect the city’s diverse geography, Busan’s waterfront will be divided into five planning zones: the West Nakdong River, Nakdong River, Suyeong River, Gijang Coast, and Busan Port Coast.
Each area will receive development and management strategies tailored to its environmental and urban characteristics.
The draft plan also includes measures to protect waterfront ecosystems, expand green spaces, improve public access, encourage cultural, tourism, and recreational activities, strengthen flood and coastal disaster preparedness, and promote long-term community participation in waterfront management.
The city plans to integrate the new guidelines into future urban planning and redevelopment projects while also applying waterfront design standards to new developments.
Following the public consultation process, the proposal will undergo review by the city council and planning committees before a final version is expected to be adopted by the end of the year.