earticle

영어

Characteristics in the modern and contemporary periods involving drastic changes and developments played an important role in shaping the features of small and medium-sized cities today. Specifically, the modern and contemporary developmental history of small and medium-sized cities may be understood in each temporal range from the 1900s to the present day including the period of Japanese colonial rule. This study explores the influence of social, environmental, political and economic factors across these periods alongside the patterns of changes in terms of urban form transformations. Additionally, this study comprehensively examines the modern and contemporary developmental history of Yangyang in a city architecture perspective through various research methodologies such as spatial information analysis using GIS programs, in-situ surveys, and information gathering from local residents. The sources of data included original drawings, cadastral maps, photos that illustrate period-specific characteristics. To categorize periods in the modern and contemporary developmental history, this study applies methodologies based on the theory of spatial politics, which enables flexible analysis of the contemporary society. With the modern and contemporary history divided into three periods, characteristics and significances of each period are analyzed. The findings of this study are as below: In the first period, remnants of the old fortress town located at the center of the urban district still play a central role in the current urban structure. Such traces have resulted in physical environmental changes in the original downtown area. In the second period, the urban structure progressively developed a shape, following the first period. Structures showing local significances were replaced by new ones. In the third period, low-rise architectural typologies dominated the original downtown of Yangyang, and the development of multi-unit houses continued over the outskirt of the original downtown. In the process of historical development, distinctive characteristics of structural environments were identified in each period. For instance, certain structural environments of historical significance such as streets, plots, and architectural features were prominently observed within the original downtown area. The future study will examine the documentation, preservation, and utilization of various structural environments in Yangyang, which is expected to be a basis for the research on the city's growth potentials as a tourist destination in the future.