The abundance of hills and steep slopes makes daily navigation difficult, particularly in older neighborhoods with narrow roads and stairways. Living in hilly neighborhoods like Sillim means that simply walking home can be physically taxing, especially for the elderly or those with mobility issues. Such inclines also create logistical challenges for transportation and infrastructure development. In winter, icy roads on hills can become hazardous, while summer rains often cause water to flow rapidly down slopes, leading to localized flooding.
Another challenge is the limited availability of flat land, which drives up housing costs and forces dense development. The high population density in such a terrain means that buildings are often stacked closely together, with limited space for expansion. This contributes to the high demand for high-rise apartments and underground facilities, which are expensive to build and maintain.
Seoul’s residents have developed creative solutions to adapt to their environment, demonstrating resilience and ingenuity. One of the most noticeable adaptations is the city’s vertical growth. With space at a premium, skyscrapers, high-rise apartments, and underground shopping malls have become essential to maximizing the use of available land. Urban planners have also designed public transportation systems that navigate the city’s inclines efficiently, such as funiculars and cable cars in hilly districts like Namsan.
The city has invested heavily in green infrastructure to counteract some of the challenges posed by its terrain. For example, flood-prone areas near the Han River have been fortified with eco-friendly levees and drainage systems.
