Conflicts of Interest and Change in Original Intent: A Case Study of Vacant and Abandoned Homes Repurposed as Community Gardens in a Shrinking City, Daegu, South Korea

Urban Farm DB summary

As part of a South Korean urban policy to revive shrinking cities by demolishing vacant residential structures and converting the resulting plots into public space, this case study examined the process, stakeholders and sources of conflict in the Daebong 2 neighborhood of Daegu, using purposive-sampling interviews with municipal authority staff, NPO members and residents, analysed through open coding. It found conflict between users and non-users over possession of public goods, conflict among project executives during the creation process, and conflict rooted in the spatial and policy characteristics specific to dense, historic residential areas. Overcoming this rivalry and discord was said to require a shift in perspective among policy practitioners, a public/private/community governance structure, consensus among residents, and welfare programs grounded in inclusivity and public interest.