A proposed countermeasure to COVID-19 is a robust healthcare system that can respond and identify transmission paths using information technology. This involves the use of smart city services for tracking an infected person. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare system could only provide data on the number of infected people. Additionally, smart city services could respond neither timely nor sequentially. This study proposed a method for timely and sequential responses, through a flexible combination of the healthcare system and smart city services by envisioning a scenario that sequentially grafts the current status of COVID-19 in Korea. The results are the following. First, the COVID-19 outbreak was summarized in the context of the healthcare system and current smart city services. A method by which the latter could respond to the various needs of the former was suggested. Second, recommendations on combining or dismissing certain smart city services, as per the needs of coping with COVID-19, were summarized. Third, smart city services must be utilized only for addressing pandemics, as data from the healthcare system consists of personal information. Therefore, smart city services for responding to COVID-19 must be flexible.

We explore the spatial layouts of mega-shelters and suggest better spatial planning strategies. A mega-shelter for refugees contains multiple functions, such as dormitory, dining, medical, kitchen, storage, and community areas. Post-disaster refugees often suffer from PTSD that affects their mental health and spatial cognitive ability. The spatial configuration of a mega-shelter can accelerate their recovery by providing an environment that not only satisfies the basic needs, but one that can improve their spatial cognitive ability and promote a sense of community in this new, albeit temporary, small society. Four mega-shelters in the U.S., Australia, and Japan were analyzed using space syntax methods, specifically axial line analysis and visibility graph analysis (VGA), as well as justified graph analysis. The comparative analysis shows that while specific spatial layouts are different, all shelters were designed from a manager’s perspective. The movements of the refugees were sometimes unnecessarily exposed to supervision and control, and community areas were often found in locations with low accessibility. By incorporating strategies such as siting community space in areas with high global integration values and adopting transition areas, mega-shelters can create an environment that can enhance the refugees’ will to recover and rebuild by promoting communications with neighbors and various community activities.

Numerous pedestrians interact with the subway station space by finding entrances into this closed area to use the subway system; further, they may use transfer transportation facilities or the complex functions nearby, such as commercial. Many studies examine pedestrian behaviors in subway stations, but most focus on special situations such as disasters and evacuation. Because it is important to analyze gait patterns in everyday situations, this study aims to verify the explanatory power of actual gait behavior by using space syntax theory in constructing an optimal agent-based model. To this end, first, pedestrian characteristics and space types are classified using pedestrian data from Gangnam Station. Second, the depthmapX program is used to develop an appropriate agent-based model for stations. Third, a simulation is run to calculate the frequency of the agent movement at each gate, which is matched with the observed pedestrian volume. Fourth, the relationship between the frequency of the agent movement and pedestrian volume is analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. The results show that although agent-based models have limitations in explaining pedestrian patterns in the entire subway station, they are capable of explaining these patterns along the shortest paths between ticket gates and station entrances.

It has been claimed that high-rise apartments, unlike perimeter block housing, cause social pathology; however, no studies have quantitatively proven this. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the difference between space-use behavior and social interactions with a focus on high-rise apartments, the main residential mode in South Korea, and the newly created perimeter block housing. This was done by first comparing and analyzing the spatial configurations of high-rise apartments and perimeter block housing using the space syntax methodology. Second, the space-use behaviors that affect interaction were explained by regression analysis after analyzing correlations among the spatial configurations of individual residence locations, the frequency of use of community facilities, and interaction. Third, differences in interaction for people living in complexes with different spatial configurations were analyzed using t-tests. The main finding was that people whose living arrangements include a good spatial configuration or that often use children’s playgrounds interact more. Additionally, when the spatial configuration of a complex is systematic and the complex is closely connected to the city, the interaction between neighbors appears better. The results of this study demonstrate that block housing promotes interaction, which will be helpful for establishing new planning standards for sustainable apartments.

Urban regeneration by participatory methods is being discussed in many parts of the world, but conflicts between stakeholders emerge as a major challenge. In order to address this problem, a new approach to urban regeneration has been attempted in Korea. By targeting towns with university campuses, this project encourages active participation from university students as well as local residents. As a result of COVID-19 restrictions, the project adopted an online-based communication strategy. First, the online data was collected; second, the data for each participant was classified through data refinement; and third, the data analysis and data visualization were carried out at each stage using program R. The results revealed that the stakeholders exhibited different perceptions about the process, indicating a potential benefit of distinct role division for the success of the multiparty project. The significance of this study lies in the fact that it analyzes participants’ perceptions of urban regeneration using a text-mining process. The results of the study can serve as the basis for minimizing conflict and planning effective urban regeneration.