Institutional Shifts in Urban Park Management Policies: A Policy Arrangement Approach to Apartment Construction in Korean Parks

Abstract

This study investigates the institutional dynamics behind the phenomenon of apartment construction within urban parks in South Korea, using the Policy Arrangement Approach (PAA) as an analytical framework. By comparing two landmark policies—the Citizens Apartments Construction Project (CACP69) of 1969 and the Private Park Special Project (PPSP09) initiated in 2009—it will reveal how park erosion has been legitimized through shifting governance structures, legal mechanisms, and discursive strategies. CACP69 emerged under authoritarian rule to address housing shortages, leveraging public authority to repurpose park land. In contrast, PPSP09 reflects neoliberal tendencies, incentivizing private capital to develop unexecuted park sites amid looming sunset clauses. Both cases illustrate how the long-term neglect of park creation and ambiguous legal definitions have enabled the commodification of public green spaces. The study argues that park management policies in Korea have been shaped by a property-rights-oriented logic, sidelining community participation and ecological integrity. These findings offer critical insights into the intersection of urban planning, environmental governance, and the privatization of public space.