Just back from Korea from a whistlestop tour of three Cities (Bucheon in the North, Jeonju in the South and the capital Seoul) talking to people, mainly from local government and public services, about social innovation and the Young Foundation's work, especially how it applies to building communities and neighbourhoods. Not that we have much to teach the Koreans ... the trip was hosted by the fabulous and very impressive Hope Institute whose Mayors' Club brings together municipal administrations in smaller cities to support and inspire them.

The Hope Institute is in a state of transition. Founder and (until recently) Executive Director Won Soon Park is standing as the unified Liberal parties candidate for Seoul Mayor, in an election precipitated by the last Mayor's resignation following a failed attempt to means test school meals. Former lawyer Mr Park, well know on the international social innovation and civil rights circuits, is neck and neck with Kyung-won Na of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP). An incredible feat for someone with a great background in social change and campaigning, but until recently less well known as a mainstream politician.

In my rapid visit I saw and heard about fantastic examples of creative innovation that challenged established thinking about how things are done. In Wanju province the energetic mayor Chung Yeap Rym has set up a community business centre which would be the envy of many in the UK, and is running a programme to resettle city dwellers in the depopulated rural areas. Mayor Rym spoke of the challenges of an ageing society, of rural depopulation, of poor public transport but also of the many social enterprises he is nurturing and some of the tensions he is managing as a consequence of the new ideas, and new people, he is bringing into his very beautiful province.

In Seoul I heard about the local successes renewing and revitalising the older Hanok (traditional housing) areas, and the civic and community enterprise and cultural energy emerging in communities like Songmisan. I also marvelled at the sheer numbers of identical tower blocks springing up on the city's periphery to house aspirational workers, and wondered how these too could become neighbourhoods that thrive.

On my way home, munching social enterprise biscuits provided by ‘Mother Cookie' of Wanju, I pondered what it would mean if Mr Park were elected Mayor of Seoul. Huge implications for that city and Korea more generally, upsetting the mainstream political consensus - but also significant for the rest of us. The Koreans excel in optimism, and as I was told, in Korea we have revolutions, in the West you do gradual innovation. Mr Park talks of ‘everyone becoming Mayor' if he is elected, of transfer of public assets to communities, of payment by results agreements with women's groups to reduce women's fear of violence on the street. Like the rest of us, Korea is battling with austerity and Mr Park will share the same problems of ever-diminishing resources and the spectre of mega recession. Whether or not he is elected on Wednesday - voter turnout is key - this campaign, rooted in civil society, is something to be celebrated.

Find out more about the Young Foundation's work on communities and housing.