Abstract
The purpose of this study is systematically to examine the changes that have taken place to the community spaces of apartment complexes in the national capital region of Korea. The methodology used in this study entails analyzing existing research and case studies carried out on this subject matter. Prior to these case studies, an existing study had been made of the chronological changes in policy, related laws and regulations in Korea since the 1960s. This case study presents the component ratio and systematized present situation of community spaces in twenty-two apartment complexes. An analysis of the researching process has revealed the following important factors related to the changes that have occurred in community spaces in apartment complexes. (1) Apartment complexes were originally developed in the 1960s to ease the housing shortage. Because the priority was to solve the housing shortage, community spaces were not widely considered or developed. (2) The standard of community spaces was established as mandatory by law in the 1970s, resulting in the emergence of various facilities that provided community spaces. (3) In the 1980s, various design competitions for apartment complexes were conducted as an attempt to improve residential environments. This process resulted in the development of new characteristic of subsidiary facilities. (4) During the period when housing problems were being addressed in the 1990s, the Community Service Center was added to the welfare facilities for residents. (5) Recently, during the 2000s, an improvement in residential environments has evolved due to the expansion of housing supply and economic growth. The quality of community spaces has therefore improved from the 1960s onward. This study revealed that policy and related laws regarding community space in Korea have been developing in a suitable direction and that the addition of various facilities to community spaces has improved the quality of living environments.