The city of Busan held an opening ceremony on June 17 at the Sasang-gu District Office for the new children’s complex cultural space, “Thoughtful Place: Come and Go,” designed to transform idle public building areas into engaging, child-friendly environments.
Located in the lobby and basement of the Sasang-gu Office, the space includes a children’s library, nursing room, lobby shelter, a motion-recognition experience center, a live sketch zone, an outdoor lounge, and other child-focused facilities. The total area spans approximately 2,205 square meters.
The project, selected through a 2023 national public contest, received 4.5 billion KRW in funding. It follows the “City Hall Deulraknalrak” initiative and is part of the city’s broader effort to repurpose underused public spaces for community benefit.
Since launching the “Come and Go” program in 2021, 106 sites have been developed across Busan, with 83 currently in operation.
These spaces now attract over 180,000 visitors monthly, with a 94% utilization rate of previously idle areas.
Recognized for its innovation, the project also won the Grand Prize at the SDG City Awards by the UN ESCAP, further cementing Busan’s image as a child-friendly city.
