A Comparative Study of Urban Regeneration for the Urban Manufacturing Industry Preservation - Focusing on the Cases of ‘Ota City Factory Area’ and ‘Euljiro-Cheonggyecheon Tool Market’-

(Background and Purpose) As the 3rd and even 4th Industrial Revolutions arrive, Korea and other developed countries are actively debating whether to preserve their modern industrial heritage. At the same time, they have presented various attempts and best practices for the use of modern industrial heritage. Nevertheless, urban regeneration using modern industrial heritage tends to focus mainly on preserving tangible assets, while intangible assets are not properly protected. For authentic preservation, tangible and intangible heritage must be considered. Therefore, it is meaningful to study the preservation value and sustainability of various aspects of an area with modern industrial heritage, which is under consideration for demolition and urban redevelopment in a city. (Method) The scope of this study was limited to the metal-related urban manufacturing industry, which showed a strong industrial ecosystem and industrial cluster characteristics. Through comparative case studies of the Ota City Factory Area and Euljiro-Cheonggyecheon Tool Market district, the city outline, history, process of change, urban policies, and citizen participation were compared to determine how to maintain the unique industrial environment and respond to urban regeneration or redevelopment. (Results) Ota City and Euljiro formed industrial clusters around the same time based on similar industrial categories, and implemented policies for industrial promotion and regeneration in the direction of governance. However, the former promoted regeneration policies based on a local-community-oriented town building, while the latter aimed to “preserve modern industrial heritage” led by local governments. These differences affected the preservation and management of both tangible and intangible assets. For example, Ota City regarded “tool-houses” as a local cultural asset, and the public and private sectors made progress in the environment by investigating and finding improvements through cooperation. In the case of Euljiro, with the exception of “Sewoon Sangga,” which was designated as a modern cultural heritage site, the surrounding area is under strong pressure to regenerate. (Conclusions) The flexibility, transformability, creativity, and management of urban manufacturing are industrial characteristics that can adapt to a rapidly changing modern society. Also, they are important factors in producing a “cultural economy” in a post-modern industrial society. In addition, various efforts and interests to protect and promote intangible assets, such as the experience and know-how of technical craftsmen, are effective and sustainable ways to preserve a city’s industrial ecosystem. In particular, the knowledge exchange and experience generated in the process of production in urban manufacturing environments are important assets in today’s information and knowledge society. Therefore, continuous research is needed on urban regeneration in the direction of preserving the industrial ecosystem from both urban and economic perspectives.