Seoul plans citywide shade network to combat heat
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Seoul, South Korea, announced a plan to connect all sidewalks with shade by 2028, addressing increasingly dangerous heat waves.
City officials view extreme heat not as a temporary discomfort but as a daily disaster threatening public safety. This decision followed data showing 31 heat-related deaths and 3,439 cases of heatstroke in the country so far this year, already exceeding last year’s total.
An analysis of the city’s 4,031 kilometers of sidewalks revealed that pedestrians are exposed to direct sunlight for an average of four hours and 21 minutes each day, with 27.6 percent of areas experiencing over six hours of direct sun. Currently, shade covers only 44.4 percent of sidewalks, provided by buildings and trees. To address this, Seoul will implement a three-step strategy: identifying areas needing shade, designing appropriate solutions, and connecting walking routes.
The city will prioritize routes leading to essential services like subway stations, schools, and hospitals, as well as areas where people must wait outdoors, such as bus stops and crosswalks. They plan to link existing shaded areas with trees, canopies, and shelters, and will consider offering developers increased building allowances in exchange for incorporating shade structures. Pilot projects will begin in 2026 and 2027 in ten districts before expanding citywide in 2028.
