Revitalization of Hongdaeipgu Station Area... Small Housing and Public Offices to Be Established

Results of the Seoul City Urban Planning Committee Meeting

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] Small rental housing and public rental offices for one- to two-person households will be built in the station area of Hongdaeipgu Station.

Seoul City announced on the 18th that it held an urban planning committee meeting on the 17th and approved the original plan to change the zoning for the station area revitalization project at 157-1 Donggyo-dong, Mapo-gu.

The main decision is to change the site use from the third-class general residential area to a neighborhood commercial area, and the final decision will be announced after review by the joint urban and architectural committee on the district plan proposal.

The city has been promoting the "station area revitalization project" to create a "compact city" and achieve regional balanced development. Considering the characteristics of the area around Hongdaeipgu Station, where many young people live, a plan was established to harmonize living spaces, workplaces, and resting places for youth.

On this site, 546 households including 44 public rental housing units will be supplied, along with social overhead capital facilities such as public rental offices and public parking lots, which are lacking in the area.

A Seoul city official said, "Following the Gongneung Station project site, which is one of the five pilot sites for the station area revitalization project, the Hongdaeipgu Station project site has passed the committee review as the second, which will accelerate the promotion of subsequent projects."

Meanwhile, at the urban planning committee meeting that day, the amendment to the maintenance plan for District 9 of the urban maintenance-type redevelopment zone in the 5-1 area of Euljiro 3-ga, Jung-gu, was also approved with modifications. This area, designated as an urban maintenance-type redevelopment zone in October 2016 due to the concentration of old and deteriorated buildings, requires restoration of urban functions and improvement of the urban environment.

Seoul City selected this area as an urban and architectural innovation target last year and, after consultations in the urban industrial and public planning fields, prepared measures to preserve the area's characteristics and traces, protect urban industries, and induce the resettlement of existing tenants.

Measures to protect existing urban industries and tenants were prepared through the creation of an industrial specialized street and support for the resettlement of existing tenants. A "alleyway" reflecting the traces and memories of Euljiro was created, and uses expressing the Euljiro sentiment were introduced in the lower floors to promote street activation.

Additionally, to suppress urban hollowing and traffic generation and to enable proximity between workplaces and residences for office workers in the city center, 108 households (including 4 public rental units) will be supplied.

A Seoul city official said, "With this decision, infrastructure such as parks in the area will be improved, and the commercial district around Euljiro is expected to be revitalized."