• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.105-116
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• 2017

Murals in villages revitalize communities and spaces, and are economically efficient. Central and local governments are therefore actively undertaking Mural Village Projects but there are some issues and concerns about the projects for the provision of uniformed landscapes for the regions that are the result of a short-term completion of projects, and instead of cohesion, cause destruction of place identities. In addition, the problem of sustainable landscape management that is the result of low community involvement can be pointed out because the murals are products of government-led projects. The study covered the context of landscape and space change processes from a critical perspective, and focused on Ihwa-dong Mural Village, which is considered the first mural village in Korea and has begun to undergo drastic changes due to attention received from media. The purposes of this study are as follows. First, the study provides data about difference of place identity perception and landscape preference between residents and tourists in Ihwa-dong Mural Village. Second, this paper evaluates the current Mural Village Projects and finds alternative directions to improve the projects by using these data. This paper analyzed tourist hot spots in Ihwa-dong Mural Village by using SNS analysis, a field study and focus group interviews. The difference of place identity perception and landscape preference was examined among three groups: residents, new residents who are invited by Mural Village Projects, and tourists. This study showed that many tourists are focused on landscape areas that were not intentionally constructed projects. In addition, the locations of preferred landscapes and stores overlapped. Meanwhile, using qualitative data analysis, it was found that residents perceived the area as being an under-privileged location, while the murals, a non-daily landscape, largely affected place identity perception of new residents and tourists. For landscape preference, tourists preferred outdoor rest areas, while new residents and residents preferred less. Additionally, new residents and tourists preferred an area's night view while residents made no mention of this. Related to the direction of the projects, three groups showed their dependence on the government. This empirical study is significant from a participatory design perspective and in analyzing the issues for mural villages' landscapes, which are spreading across the nation and proceeding without criticism in urban regeneration. Implications for urban planners and suggestions for the future projects are given.