Ubiquitous-City

U-City: New Trends of Urban Planning in Korea Based on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Geotechnology and

Geoinformation

Myungjun Jang1 and Soon-Tak Suh2

1 Institute of Urban Sciences

and

2 Department of Urban Administration,

University of Seoul

Siripdae-gil 131 Jeonnong-dong 90

Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, S. Korea, 130-743

getz74@, stsuh@uos.ac.kr

Abstract. The concept of Ubiquitous Computing Environment leads new para-

digm change in urban space creation. In Korea, new concept of Ubiquitous-City

(U-City) draws a lot of attentions now. It is trying to fuse high-tech infrastruc-

ture and ubiquitous information service into the urban area. It is also thought to

bring innovations of urban functions. At last, it is advancing to the ubiquitous

society, intelligence-based society where humans, things, and computers are

combined. This paper introduces U-City’s definition, characteristics, trend,

status, and future research work.

Keywords: U-City, Ubiquitous computing environment, Context Based Sys-

tems, Location Based Service (LBS).

1 Introduction

A user called Ubiquitous computing is not aware of network or computer, and be in-dependent of location, and mean the information communication environment which can connect to network [19] [20]. Speaking further in detail, ubiquitous means 'exists everywhere at anytime' was derived from Latin language. And, it indicates the envi-ronment where user can connect to computer or network without being aware of them. While Mark Weiser of Xerox used term called 'Ubiquitous computing' in 1988, it appeared for the first time. Ubiquitous computing joined to main frame and per-sonal computers (PC), and it would lead the third information revolution. By the way, this is normally written with a form like Ubiquitous communications, Ubiquitous network etc. This is not to add to any additional function to computer. This will put computer to any appliances or things like car, refrigerator, glasses, clock, stereo equipment etc. And then, this new information technology (IT) environment or the information technology paradigm makes them communicate between each other [17].

Recently, new concept of ubiquitous city (U-city) is noted in the Korea [2] [5]. The concept has received most attention in South Korea, which is planning to build new 15 ubiquitous cities .The first U-City, Hwaseong-Dong tan U-Citys, has been partially

U-City: New Trends of Urban Planning in Korea 263

completed and operated. It characterizes diverse U-Services that include U-Traffic, U-Parking, and U-Crime Prevention service, one stop administrative service [10]. It also enables automating communication because 'U-city' amalgamates advanced IT infra and Ubiquitous information service to urban space. U-city can show future shape of city where it is possible to develop self controlling urban space. In this article, we would like to introduce U-city's concept and characteristic, trend, current situation and future research work.

2 Definition and Characteristics of U-City

2.1 Definition of U-City

‘U-City’ is a 21st century futurist city which enables the service such as one-stop ad-ministration service, automatic traffic, crime prevention, fire prevention system and home-networking of residential places which fused high-tech infrastructure and ubiq-uitous information service into the urban area. Meanwhile, ubiquitous means ‘existing anywhere’ in Latin, and means that the environment user can access to the network regardless of the place and not being aware of the computer/network. It is the futurist high-tech city that maximizes the quality of life and value of a region by innovating every function of the city by fusing high-tech infrastructure and ubiquitous service into the urban area. U-City is the next-generation informatization city that can inno-vate every function of the city such as increase in convenience of urban life, im-provement of quality of life, security guaranteeing by systematic city management, improvement of citizen welfare and new industry creation [3] [13]. That is, U-City means the 21st Korean neo-city that speeches convergence with construction, home-appliance, contents and converges the capacity of IT totally which is developed in the country as a representative business model of ubiquitous IT [11].

2.2 Characteristics of U-City

We can analyze U-City in terms of intelligence, network, platform and service [4]. U-City features intelligence of urban function that manages and optimizes various situations intelligently which are related to urban function, wired and wireless com-munication network connection, which is the basis of electronic spatial embodiment, common platform and integrative management that pursue universal service anywhere and anytime, variation and application of the applied service that pursues practical service by which ubiquitous technology is grafted. The following figure 1 illustrates the conceptual format of U-City.

2.3 Types of U-City Service

The service type of U-City is divided into u-Home, u-Work, u-Traffic, u-Health, u-Environment, u-Public service and u-Education largely according to the application range of service, and this u-City service is realized by contents combination such as ①communication infrastructure wired and wireless service(ex: xDSL, FTTH, RFID, Wi-bro, mobile communication), ②construction infrastructure such as high-tech