'Special Act on Maintenance and Support for Aging Planned Cities' to be Proposed This Month
[Asia Economy Reporter Noh Kyung-jo] Aging planned cities larger than 1 million square meters, including the first-generation new towns where more than 20 years have passed since the completion of land development projects, will be designated as special maintenance zones. In these special maintenance zones, reconstruction safety inspections are exempted or relaxed, and urban and architectural regulations such as floor area ratio and zoning are applied flexibly. The integrated review process will also accelerate project implementation.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 7th that it plans to propose the "Special Act on Maintenance and Support for Aging Planned Cities" within this month. It was judged that it is difficult to quickly and comprehensively maintain aging planned cities, where supply was concentrated in a short period, under the current "Urban Maintenance Act" and "Urban Regeneration Act."
The aging planned cities to which the special act applies include first-generation new towns, metropolitan area land development districts, and local hub new towns. The five first-generation new towns?Bundang, Ilsan, Jungdong, Pyeongchon, and Sanbon?where occupancy was completed by the end of 1992, have seen residents' maintenance demands due to parking shortages, pipe corrosion, noise between floors, and aging infrastructure as more than 30 years have passed since completion.
According to this special act, the maintenance project criteria for aging planned cities such as the first-generation new towns will change from 30 years of facility aging to more than 20 years after the completion of land development projects. The area criterion is 1 million square meters or more, and the combined area of two or more adjacent or contiguous land lots is also possible. Maintenance will proceed in a two-track method where the Ministry of Land establishes basic policies and local governments create detailed plans. Relocation measures, which were the responsibility of the project implementer, are also included.
Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "The special act faithfully reflects the voices of residents and local governments, and through two-track planning and designation of pilot districts, rapid new town maintenance is now possible," adding, "Even after the proposal, we will closely cooperate with the National Assembly to ensure the special act is passed promptly."
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