After a US$384 million recovery project, Cheonggyecheon (Cheonggye Stream) has been liberated from its dank sheath and burbles between reedy banks, The New York Times said with regards to Seoul''s successful restoration project, in a July 17 story.

Emphasizing that the Cheonggyecheon restoration is part of expanding global environmental efforts, the story compared the Seoul stream to New York State''s Saw Mill River. The city of Yonkers plans to re-expose 1,900 feet of the river through restoration, explained the daily.

The daily also said that people in Los Angeles are looking at buried creeks as assets instead of inconveniences, inspired by Seoul''s example.

The newspaper explained how the Cheonggyecheon restoration project made a success out of initial opposition from many groups of people.

Seoul''s stream restoration not only increased fish species in the water from 4 to 25 but also substantially cut air pollution from cars and reduced surrounding air temperature, it said.

The paper reported that the Cheonggyecheon project had involved hundreds of meetings with business and residents over two years.

It also said visitors to Cheonggyecheon nowadays include merchants from nearby shops, who were among the project''s biggest opponents early on.

The newspaper quoted Yonkers'' mayor Philip A. Amicone and said that Seoul''s success had helped build support for Yonkers'' river restoration preparation. The mayor said "Whether it''s a city of millions or 200,000, the concept is identical. These are no longer sewers, but aesthetically pleasing assets that enhance development."