Cheonggyecheon Stream Restoration

Daylighting an Urban River (Seoul)

Seoul, South Korea

Highlight

Removed an elevated highway to daylight a stream, creating a green corridor that cools and revitalises the city centre.

Extended description

Seoul transformed a covered, highway-topped watercourse into the Cheonggyecheon Stream, a daylighted linear green corridor through the city centre. Removing the elevated highway and restoring the stream reduced the urban heat-island effect, improved air quality and restored ecological function, while creating a heavily used public space. It is a celebrated example of urban river restoration and car-infrastructure removal for climate and liveability.