Songdo City: Blueprint or Black Sheep?

Songdo City, South Korea’s flagship smart city, is a $40 billion marvel that embodies innovation and ambition. Over two decades, it has transformed from a wetland to a high-tech hub, championing sustainability and urban planning excellence. Despite its cutting-edge infrastructure and status as a model for global urban development, Songdo faces criticism for top-down governance, underwhelming population growth, and cultural shortcomings. This research delves into its governance, built environment, and economic frameworks to evaluate whether Songdo is a blueprint for future cities or an outlier among global urban experiments.