A Site from Seen to Contextualized: Urban Place in Busan, South Korea

Abstract

Many contemporary urban landscapes influenced by anonymous commercialization and urban development are faced with the problem of spatial homogeneity and featurelessness. While this paper is grounded on the critical reading of contemporary landscapes, it proposes that such characterizations entail a particular epistemological approach in which landscapes are gazed upon at a distance by a third person observer. This approach is problematic as it does not take into account the role of human agency and socio-cultural contexts. This paper argues that personal experiences and socio-cultural contexts play a critical role in shaping place meanings of South Korea urban landscape as the landscape has evolved over massive social changes influenced by colonialism, war and rapid modernization. Taking hyper consumptive landscapes of Gwangbok-dong and Nampo-dong in Busan as examples, this research analyzes residents' landscape memories and narratives and provides an alternative reading of the seemingly anonymous and featureless consumptive landscape. Contextualized by unique historic events, socio-cultural contexts, and personal experiences, the landscape of Gwangbok-dong and Nampo-dong is reconstructed as a centre place.