'A Future Busan Designed by Citizens': First Design Hackathon to Be Held

[Financial News] Busan City announced on the 9th that it will hold the main event of the First Design Hackathon, as part of the international design event Design-Busan 2026, at the Busan Port International Exhibition & Convention Center (BPEX) on the morning of the 11th.

Design-Busan 2026 uses the entire city as a stage for design. The event, themed “Sea, People, Environment,” is being held from the 5th through the 15th, with venues in six districts of Busan. The Design Hackathon is a civic-participation program in which participants with different experiences and areas of expertise form teams to envision and propose what Busan’s future could look like.
A total of 144 people applied to participate—80% more than the city’s initial target of 80. Of these, 106 were young people in their 20s and 30s, accounting for 73.6% of all applicants.
Applications came from 27 universities across the country. In Busan, 44 people applied from eight universities, including Pusan National University, Pukyong National University, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Dong-A University, Kyungsung University and Dong-Eui University. From overseas, 18 foreign nationals from countries including the United States and the United Kingdom applied, as did many residents of other regions, including the Seoul metropolitan area and South Gyeongsang Province.
Two experts affiliated with the UK government are also taking part in a personal capacity to envision Busan’s future. Evelina Mechikarova of the UK Department for Transport and Lisa Vickers of the UK Government Digital Service reportedly joined because they were interested in the format, which allows participants from diverse backgrounds to explore possibilities for Busan’s future.
The shared theme of the hackathon is “Design a sustainable Busan where people stay, relationships continue and value circulates.” Drawing on the diverse resources they explored during preliminary activities—including Busan’s spaces, industries, culture and environment—participants will discuss ideas in teams and propose scenarios for how Busan could change if those ideas were put into practice at the main event.
The city plans to present the Busan Mayor’s Award and the Busan Design Promotion Agency President’s Award for outstanding proposals, then review with relevant departments and organizations the proposals’ potential use in policymaking and plans for follow-up. It also plans to document and share each team’s outcomes and the main stages of their discussions.
[email protected] Byun Ok-hwan Reporter