The "Bee'lieve in Dreams - Park" Rain Garden, established in 2024 at Jangpyeong Neighborhood Park in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, through the collaboration between the Seoul Green Trust (Chairman Cho Kyung-jin) and Porsche Korea, has won the Corporate Companion Special Award at the 2026 Seoul Garden City Awards. 

This prestigious recognition highlights the successful partnership between the Seoul Green Trust and Porsche Korea in restoring the ecological functions of urban living-권(residential) parks. Beyond simply building green infrastructure, the initiative has been widely acclaimed for continuously engaging citizens in observing and nurturing biodiversity within the space.

Transforming Urban Spaces: The Concept of the Rain Garden

The "Bee'lieve in Dreams - Park" is an approximately 400-square-meter rain garden designed to revitalize the aging Jangpyeong Neighborhood Park into a vibrant ecological haven. Focused on native plant species, the garden features a stream-like layout that naturally captures, filters, and circulates rainwater. When it rains, water gently permeates and pools, creating a balanced ecosystem where plants, insects, and birds can thrive together. 

The project was brought to life with the professional expertise of Studio Chosinsung, a specialized design studio focusing on gardens and ecology. Studio Chosinsung participated from the initial planning stages, carefully calculating water flow, vegetation patterns, and micro-habitats for local wildlife. Even after completion, the studio has collaborated with the Seoul Green Trust to host ecological exploration programs, tracking environmental changes and documenting biodiversity alongside local residents. 

Fostering Community Science and Environmental Stewardship

The Seoul Green Trust has continuously expanded the intrinsic value of the garden past its physical creation. Through the community-driven program known as the "Our Neighborhood Ecological Explorer Club," local residents actively engage in citizen science—observing and logging the local flora and fauna. Additionally, environmental foundations have been actively reinforced by installing bee houses to provide stable habitats for urban wild bees.

This integrated operational model—seamlessly connecting garden creation, professional management, and active citizen participation—serves as a benchmark demonstrating how localized green infrastructure can generate positive ripple effects for both urban ecosystems and local communities.

Expanding Sustainable Green Infrastructure across Regions

Building on the success of this project, the Seoul Green Trust and Porsche Korea are steadily scaling up their efforts to enhance the ecological value of residential parks. Following the establishment of their second garden, the "Slow Garden," at Jangan Neighborhood Park in Dongdaemun-gu in 2025, the initiative is expanding beyond Seoul to Gyeonggi Province in 2026, where a third garden will be created at Yeongheung Forest Park in Suwon. 

Reflecting on the honor, the Seoul Green Trust stated that the award is deeply meaningful because it validates a holistic process: not just building gardens, but growing urban biodiversity together with citizens. Moving forward, the organization plans to continue partnering with corporations, local governments, and citizens to turn vulnerable urban spaces into sustainable green infrastructure, thereby boosting cities' ecological resilience in the face of climate change.

About Seoul Green Trust

Established in 2003, the Seoul Green Trust is a non-profit foundation dedicated to expanding and preserving urban green spaces in Seoul through citizen participation, aiming to foster a pleasant urban environment. Emerging from a cooperative agreement between the Korea Forest Movement and the Seoul Metropolitan Government under the "Seoul Green Vision 2020," it achieved a milestone in May 2003 by pioneering citizen-participatory park creation through public fundraising and tree planting for Seoul Forest Park. Having successfully managed Seoul Forest Park from 2005 to 2021, the foundation continuously runs volunteer-driven urban forestry programs, ecological campaigns, and academic forums to improve public awareness and realize the true green value of modern cities.

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