282 INNOVATION: MANAGEMENT, POLICY & PRACTICE Volume 10, Issue 2–3, October–December 2008
INTRODUCTION
Socio-economic changes in the information eraimmensely impact on our societies, lifestyles,
built and natural environments and urban ameni-
ties (Yigitcanlar et al. 2008a). Particularly globali-
sation and the rise of the knowledge economy
along with increasing environmental concerns are
leading urban policy makers to look for alterna-
tives in urban infrastructure and service provi-
sion. Additionally, rapid technology development
Copyright © eContent Management Pty Ltd. Innovation: management, policy & practice (2008) 10: 282–292.
Ubiquitous urban infrastructure:
Infrastructure planning and
development in Korea
SANG-HO LEE
Professor, Department of Urban Engineering, Hanbat National University, Daejeon, Korea
TAN YIGITCANLAR
Senior Lecturer, School of Urban Development, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane
QLD, Australia
JUNG-HOON HAN
Research Fellow, Urban Research Program, Griffith University, Nathan QLD, Australia
YOUN-TAIK LEEM
Assistant Professor, Department of Urban Engineering, Hanbat National University, Daejeon,
Korea
ABSTRACT
The fast growing ubiquitous infrastructure technologies are capable of improving current urban
management and infrastructure planning and development capabilities. These technological
advancement urban infrastructure developments in the Republic of Korea have recently shifted
from an old paradigm of conventional infrastructure to a new paradigm of intelligent infrastruc-
ture provision. This new paradigm, so called ubiquitous infrastructure, is a combination of urban
infrastructures, information and communication technologies and digital networks. Ubiquitous
infrastructure refers to an urban infrastructure system where any citizen can access any infrastruc-
ture and services via any electronic devices regardless of time and location. This paper introduces
this new paradigm and new schemes for urban infrastructure planning and development in the
Republic of Korea and discusses the potential positive effects of ubiquitous infrastructure on Korean
cities to achieve sustainable urban development.
Keywords: Korea, ubiquitous infrastructure, ubiquitous city, urban infrastructure, ubiquitous services, sus-
tainable urban development, urban technologies, information and communication technology.

in the area of digital network and telecommuni-
cations has a significant effect on contemporary
urban infrastructure planning. Ever since
Mitchell (1999) envisaged the ‘E-topia’ at the end
of the 20th Century, describing the kinds of
changes he anticipates will take place in urban
spaces as a consequence of the digital revolution,
urban digital networks have been developed as
one of the most important urban infrastructures.
For instance, technological advances and the bene-
fits resulting from the use of these technologies in
urban planning resulted in the emergence of new
forms of urban infrastructure such as driverless
transport systems, smart cards and intelligent
traffic control systems (Cohen & Nijkamp
2002). In the Republic of Korea and Japan, poli-
cy-makers and planners have developed and
applied ‘ubiquitous computing systems’ in urban
infrastructure planning and development. This
new ‘ubiquitous urban infrastructure’ (U-infra-
structure) provides everyone with an opportunity
to access to urban services using any information
technology devices, regardless of time and loca-
tion (Lee 2005a).
U-infrastructure is a key component of ‘ubiqui-
tous’ city development and has a significant effect
on the emergence of a new paradigm for urban
infrastructure planning and development that is
ecologically sustainable and democratic in nature.
Ubiquitous cities, or U-cities, are defined as places
where public and private services can be delivered
and received anywhere and anytime (Kim 2008).
Formation of these high-tech cities has not yet
been considered widely around the world by poli-
cy makers and urban planners (Yigitcanlar 2006),
perhaps because the idea of ubiquitous computing
was so far only limited to the design or improve-
ment of smart buildings, as in the cases of Singa-
pore and Hong Kong. As discussed in this paper,
however, the process in Korea, and also Japan
(Bessho et al. 2008), reveals that it is possible to
develop cities of the future by developing U-infra-
structures that are smart and eco-friendly.
The following sections of the paper discuss
major issues of ubiquitous urban service provi-
sion, urban planning, urban land use, and infra-
structure developments, particularly in Korean
cities. Using Korean experience, the paper dis-
cusses a new form of urban infrastructure and
system driven by the concept of U-infrastructure.
The paper then concludes with recommendations
for policymakers and urban and infrastructure
planners of elsewhere who are interested in
adopting U-infrastructure systems.
UBIQUITOUS URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE
Information and communication technologies
(ICTs) play an increasingly important role in the
planning, management and use of urban physical
infrastructure in the areas of transport systems,
power supply, sewerage and waste treatment and
water supply and management. The Republic of
Korea, followed by Japan, is a world leader in the
use of ICTs in urban infrastructure planning and
management (Cohen-Blankshtain 2004). Over
the last two decades, Korea has continuously
developed local, regional and national strategies
for knowledge-based and sustainable urban devel-
opment by incorporating state of the art ICTs.
The country’s U-Korea and U-city agendas aim
to increase the use of ICTs in the development
and management of urban space for prosperous
and sustainable development.
In the 21st Century, technological develop-
ments in the areas of remote sensing, geographic
information systems and wireless communica-
tions have made huge strides as a result of
tremendous changes in mobile networks –
mobile phones, vehicle navigation, smart cards
and personal tracking systems. In particular,
mobile phones have become intelligent devices,
used not for only inter-personal communication
but also to access information and services pro-
vided via the internet (Lee 1999). These wireless
and advanced technologies provide opportunities
for a person to communicate not only with other
people but also with any product or service ele-
ments of the existing urban infrastructure,
notably transport, water supply, public parks and
route directions if the objects contain sensors,
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Ubiquitous urban infrastructure: Infrastructure planning and development in Korea
Volume 10, Issue 2–3, October–December 2008 INNOVATION: MANAGEMENT, POLICY & PRACTICE