Seoul City Takes First Step to Realize 'Beyond Zoning'... Initiates Related Service

Seoul City announced on the 13th that it plans to commence related service this month to realize the new urban planning system called ‘Beyond Zoning.’ Through this, the city aims to increase the autonomy of land use introduction and create future spaces with diverse mixed functions.

‘Beyond Zoning’ is a concept proposed as a new Seoul-type urban planning system suitable for the future convergence era. The current zoning system has served as a basic means to spatially allocate and determine the demand for various urban activities such as office, commercial, residential, and green spaces, ensuring that the functions of urban spaces (land/areas) do not overlap.

However, unlike in the past, as spatial functions increasingly converge, it has been pointed out that the current zoning system clearly has limitations in accommodating rapidly changing diverse lifestyles, such as diversification of working hours and workspaces, and increased enjoyment of leisure culture.

In response, the city has proactively conceptualized the future-type urban management system ‘Beyond Zoning’ and has been making efforts for its concrete realization. It has proposed it as a task for urban planning policy and institutional improvement to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) and submitted related matters as agenda items for discussion at the MOLIT-local government urban policy council, promoting consultations with the central government.

In line with the central government’s policy, Seoul City plans to specifically establish criteria and guidelines for selecting spatial innovation zones to ensure a rational system based on Seoul’s conditions through this service.

An amendment to the National Land Planning and Utilization Act, which newly introduces three types of spatial innovation zones into the current urban planning system based on the zoning system, was proposed last month on the 27th by Representative Kim Jeong-jae and is currently under legislative notice. The pilot project sites for spatial innovation zones will be selected within this year, and zone designation will be pursued next year.

In particular, the designation of urban innovation zones and mixed-use zones among the spatial innovation zones requires deliberation by the Central Urban Planning Committee. The city plans to continue close consultations with MOLIT regarding the location and planning details of the zone designation. In the mid to long term, Seoul will review future-type urban management systems and phased realization plans that can accommodate the city’s diverse forms in response to future changes and new spatial demands.

Jo Nam-jun, Director of the Urban Planning Bureau of Seoul City, stated, “Through Beyond Zoning, we will realize a future city, Seoul, where land use types, purposes, densities, and building forms are diversely combined,” adding, “Starting with this service, we will continuously pursue attempts at urban planning innovation befitting the mega city Seoul.”