Spatial configurations for the revitalization of a traditional market: The case of yukgeori market in Cheongju, South Korea

Abstract

Changes in consumer purchasing patterns in South Korea in the 1990s led to a gradual decline in traditional markets. However, Yukgeori Market, a representative and unique traditional market in the city of Cheongju, has survived and continued to develop while maintaining the physical and operational characteristics of a traditional market. There is a lack of studies on the revitalization of traditional markets in non-metropolitan areas outside of Seoul in Korea. Thus, this study has identified the characteristics of the spatial configurations that foster the vitality of traditional markets by analyzing the attributes of the spaces based on their accessibility in the street network of Cheongju, and especially in the neighborhood surrounding Yukgeori Market. This was done by calculating the depths of the nodes in the network using a spatial analytical model. The results showed that long streets with a high public level (integration), which attract people and act as a communication bridge between highly modernized commercial areas and traditional markets as well as a boundary to preserve and develop a market's traditional characteristics, can lead to the sustainable development of both types of area.