Greening the Future: How Korea Blends Innovation, Culture, and Sustainability

Over the past few days, I explored three very different but related sites in Seoul that each highlight how the city blends natural landscapes, sustainability, and cultural identity through thoughtful design.

While visiting one of the 50 largest cities in the world, you might expect every section to be fully developed with little to no greenery. Seoul defies this expectation. A few days ago, we hiked to the summit of Inwangsan, and the views were spectacular. From the top, you could clearly see how greenery is woven throughout the city. It offered a stunning visual of how modern architecture blends with the natural world. On our way up, we saw a group racing to the summit, celebrating their finish with joy. At the peak, there were many others who had hiked up different trails, enjoying the panoramic view of the city. Hiking seems to be a common and accessible activity in Korea, valued both for health and for connecting with nature.

Trash presents a complex challenge for cities worldwide: how to manage it, where to put it, and how to reduce its environmental impact. Korea has made remarkable progress in addressing this issue. We had the opportunity to visit the Mapo Resource Recovery Facility, where I learned about Seoul’s commitment to processing waste in the most environmentally friendly and efficient way possible. Trash is collected between midnight and 5 a.m., minimizing disruptions to the public. Even at the plant, trash trucks use a separate path to keep the process discreet for employees. This approach reflects Korea’s strong cultural values around visual cleanliness, order, and efficiency.

At the facility, trash is broken up and left to dry to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. It is then incinerated twice to minimize ash. Heat from the incineration is recovered to produce energy, which is used by the plant and surrounding districts. Before air is released, it undergoes a thorough filtration process. The final stage, called the “police filter,” captures remaining pollutants. In fact, the air released is cleaner than the surrounding atmosphere. A large digital sign outside the facility displays the current air quality, updated every 30 minutes, and is also available online. Even the ash from incineration is sent to another facility to be turned into bricks. Every part of the process is designed to minimize environmental harm and contribute to urban sustainability.

At another facility, leftover food waste is collected separately. Restaurants and citizens must pay by the pound to dispose of food waste. Interestingly, during my time in Korea, I noticed that there are very few public trash cans, yet the streets remain impressively clean. This speaks to a collective sense of responsibility and civic discipline.

After touring the Mapo plant, we explored World Cup Park, which was once a landfill. The transformation into a beautiful public space required the installation of methane gas extraction wells. Methane from decomposing waste is funneled through pipes into a collection system, where it is used to heat nearby public facilities and residential housing. This project not only restores nature but also demonstrates the potential of urban renewal. The area we visited, Haneul Park, is filled with vast fields of fancy grasses. Standing in the park, it felt as though we were in a peaceful countryside, even though the city skyline remained visible in the distance.

These experiences illustrate how Korea skillfully balances sustainability with innovation. Whether by converting landfills into vibrant public parks or turning waste into energy, the country’s approach to urban planning reflects deep cultural values of respect for nature, collective wellbeing, and future-oriented design. Every detail, from the hidden trash truck routes to the reuse of ash in brick making, reveals an architectural mindset focused not only on functionality but also on environmental impact and visual harmony.

Walking through these thoughtfully designed and repurposed spaces made me think differently about what cities can and should be: places where the future and the past, innovation and restoration, do not have to compete but can coexist. Korea’s built environment tells a powerful story about how cultural values shape not only how cities look but how they live.