[Choi Jun-young's Urban Pilgrimage] The Challenges of Cities in 2020

It is not easy to imagine images in familiar spaces. Such tasks are usually left to tourists and outsiders. Among the impressive scenes of Seoul for foreigners living in the city, one is the entertainment district alleys decorated with neon signboards and crowded with people, and the other is the multi-family and multi-unit houses commonly referred to as 'villa.' Although much more diverse now, villas characterized by red brick exteriors, semi-basements, rooftop rooms, and outdoor staircases still exist almost unnoticed in the shadow of apartments, yet they remain a symbolic residential space of Seoul. This is because 42% of Seoul's housing is not apartments.

Three images come to mind when thinking of villas: semi-basements, outdoor staircases, and rooftop rooms. While now considered symbols of poor housing conditions, these spaces were once regarded as places that enhanced quality of life. Seoul’s housing shortage was more severe in the past. It was not a matter of price but an absolute lack of physical space. Many basements and storage rooms were converted into living spaces for rent. Bathrooms were shared outdoor traditional toilets, and kitchens were often absent. Installing kitchens and bathrooms was illegal construction. Naturally, the living environment was the worst.

Severe Housing Shortage in Seoul in the Past
First Appearance of Multi-Family Housing in 1984
Semi-basements and Outdoor Staircases Allowed

Unable to realistically crack down on this, the government amended the Building Act in November 1984 to introduce a new category of housing called 'multi-family housing.' The focus was on utilizing underground spaces. Originally, basements were not considered living spaces and were only excluded from floor area ratio calculations if more than two-thirds were below ground level, serving as evacuation spaces. Naturally, lighting and ventilation were inadequate. However, as everyone began using these as living spaces, to solve lighting and ventilation issues, basements were recognized even if only half of their height was below ground, thus excluded from floor area ratio calculations. Kitchens and bathrooms, previously prohibited, were allowed. The semi-basements still seen throughout the city became legal from this point.

Another change was the allowance of outdoor staircases. Previously, installing separate staircases outside buildings was included in the building area, so residents on the first floor had to pass through other homes to reach the second floor or rooftop, or illegally install metal staircases. Multi-family housing excluded outdoor staircases from building area calculations, allowing each household to have separate access routes. Additionally, multi-family housing relaxed regulations by requiring only the northern boundary to be half the building height away, and the rest only 50 cm or more. These multi-family houses, commonly called villas, changed the cityscape and became an iconic image of Korean cities.

Symbol of Korean Cities at the Time
Decisive Role in Solving 1980s Housing Shortage

The increase in multi-family housing provided better living spaces for many people than before. Many believe that first-generation new towns like Bundang and Ilsan played a decisive role in solving the 1980s housing shortage, but in fact, multi-family housing played a bigger role. Although these living spaces were extremely poor by 2020 standards, 30 years ago they were excellent and comfortable places to live. They featured flush toilets, standing kitchens, and windows that let in sunlight and breeze?typical living spaces during the $5,000 per capita income era.

Choi Jun-young, Senior Advisor at Yulchon LLC

Over more than 30 years, South Korea has become a country with a top 10 global economy and a per capita income exceeding $30,000. Despite growing wealth disparity and difficult challenges like aging and low birth rates, it has become a country admired by most of the world, a place people want to visit and live in. Among these, Seoul has grown into a global metropolis. The standard for high-rise apartments has changed from 15 floors to over 25 floors, and apartment complexes that once had only parking lots and barren concrete buildings now feature underground parking, car-free parks above ground, and community spaces for residents to engage in various activities. People’s preferences naturally increase for housing spaces that match their income levels.

Current Deterioration Due to Aging
Need to Improve Living Conditions to Match the Times

Villas and multi-family houses located around apartments often remain as they were. From the late 1980s, the rapid spread of passenger cars turned alleys and side streets where children used to play into parking lots. Due to unclear management entities, the aging of multi-family housing progressed rapidly, and the more densely packed these houses were, the more living conditions, including sunlight rights, deteriorated. Those who could afford it began moving out to apartments elsewhere. Local governments paid little attention to the worsening living conditions caused by the increase in multi-family housing. There were no sidewalks safe for walking or parks for leisure, and spaces densely filled only with houses and vehicles quietly began to disappear into the background. They existed clearly but became almost invisible.

Various attempts have been made regarding what to do with these houses and spaces. Complete demolition and redevelopment to build apartments forced most original residents to leave the area and caused problems like insufficient roads and schools. Large-scale redevelopment combining individual projects with partial public sector support, known as New Town development, created excellent living spaces preferred by the middle class but took a long time and caused housing price increases. Urban regeneration projects aimed to improve living conditions without replacing apartments, maintaining the existing state.

Efforts were made to create warm, human-centered spaces, but they failed to meet the housing standards people desired. In an ambiguous state, existing villas are being replaced by various forms of housing, including urban-style residential buildings. These housing types, built more densely with higher floor area ratios, only postpone current housing problems and do not provide fundamental solutions. How to transform these past living spaces, which have low floor heights but floor area ratios similar to apartments and remain densely packed, to meet contemporary demands is a challenge for all of us. Could the boldness shown in the 1980s by recognizing reality and allowing multi-family housing be the answer to the challenges we face in 2020?