In an effort to turn around this situation, in 1998 then-Taipei mayor (and current president) Ma Ying-jeou, who spent his childhood in Wanhua, came up with a budget of NT $ 150 billion for an urban redevelopment plan for Datong and Wanhua.
為了挽救頹勢，曾在萬華度過童年的總統馬英九，於 1998 年當選台北市長後，即編列 1,500 億元鉅額預算，針對大同、萬華兩區，擬定「翻轉軸線，再造西區」的都市更新計畫。