Public Hearing on Bukhansan Height Restrictions to Gather Resident Opinions
Attended Resident Public Hearing on the 17th, Explained Progress on Rational Height Restriction Relaxation
‘Relaxation of Bukhansan Height Restrictions’ a Key Pledge of District Mayor Lee Soon-hee… “Will Do Our Best to See Results”
Will the height restrictions on Bukhansan be eased?
Gangbuk-gu (District Mayor Lee Soon-hee) held a ‘Resident Public Hearing for the Relaxation of Bukhansan Height Restrictions’ at Hanshin University on the 17th, explaining the progress so far and listening to residents’ opinions.
About 300 residents attended the hearing.
At the hearing, Yu Ok-hyun, Director of the District Urban Management Bureau, presented on the ‘Background and Major Progress of Gangbuk-gu Height Restriction Relaxation,’ and Jang Jae-min, Director of the Korea Urban Policy Research Institute, spoke on the ‘Necessity of Relaxing Bukhansan Height Restrictions.’ Active questions and answers from residents followed.
District Mayor Lee Soon-hee stated, “Gangbuk residents have been excluded from reconstruction and redevelopment projects for 30 long years due to height restrictions and could not freely build houses. Last year, we prepared a rational relaxation plan and strongly requested it in a meeting with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon. Mayor Oh responded that it is time for policy change and promised to deliver good news in the first half of this year.”
The relaxation of height restrictions is a long-standing wish of Gangbuk-gu. Since being designated as a Bukhansan height district in 1990, a total area of 3,557,000㎡ near Samyang-dong has only been allowed buildings under 20 meters. Due to height restrictions, these areas have repeatedly failed to qualify for government or city reconstruction and redevelopment projects because of lack of profitability.
Bukhansan National Park borders not only Gangbuk-gu but also Dobong, Seongbuk, Jongno, Eunpyeong, and Seodaemun districts; however, only Gangbuk-gu and Dobong-gu have been designated as height districts. Among these, Gangbuk-gu’s height district area accounts for 67%, about two-thirds, making residents’ hopes very strong.
Since the beginning of her term, Mayor Lee has set a strategy of ‘rational height restriction relaxation’ and has been requesting Seoul City since October last year to relax height restrictions up to 15 floors.
As a result, in December last year, Sonamu Cooperative Village in Mia-dong 791-2882 and the area around Beondong 441-3, which had repeatedly failed redevelopment due to height restrictions, were selected as Seoul City’s rapid integrated planning candidate sites.
The relaxation of Bukhansan height restrictions is one of Mayor Lee’s core pledges, along with attracting the new Gangbuk Line, revitalizing redevelopment and reconstruction, and operating villa management offices.
Mayor Lee Soon-hee said, “We are actively cooperating with various politicians to relax height restrictions. Since we are uniting our intentions with related organizations, we will do our best to see results soon.”
Dongdaemun-gu Operates ‘Maintenance Project Legal Counseling Center’ for Rapid Reconstruction and Redevelopment
Contributes to Resolving Resident Conflicts through Legal Counseling Related to Reconstruction and Redevelopment
From March 30, Provides Weekly Thursday and Friday Consultations on Maintenance Project Disputes, Complaints, and Legal Interpretations
Dongdaemun-gu (District Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) is operating a ‘Maintenance Project Legal Counseling Center’ to expedite reconstruction and redevelopment, providing legal counseling related to reconstruction and redevelopment for residents.
The district plans to enhance residents’ understanding and trust in maintenance projects through consultations with legal experts, prevent complaints and disputes arising from public reconstruction, redevelopment, and rapid integrated planning candidate site announcements, and provide accurate information to establish a foundation for rapid project promotion.
The ‘Maintenance Project Legal Counseling Center’ operates in the ‘Specialized Counseling Room’ next to the Real Estate Information Division on the first floor of the district office’s Civil Affairs Office. Starting March 30, consultations will be held every Thursday and Friday from 2 to 5 p.m. for residents who make prior reservations. Residents wishing to consult can make reservations from March 20 through the Dongdaemun-gu Housing Maintenance Division.
Two legal experts, including the district’s legal advisor, will conduct consultations within one hour. Consultation topics include ▲legal counseling related to reconstruction and redevelopment ▲advice on major policies and necessary matters ▲dispute and complaint counseling ▲review of litigation documents and legal interpretations ▲support for discovering system improvements.
District Mayor Lee Pil-hyung said, “Through operating the Maintenance Project Legal Counseling Center, we will resolve residents’ questions about maintenance projects and provide professional assistance for disputes and complaints, thereby establishing a more transparent maintenance project culture and promoting reconstruction and redevelopment projects swiftly.”
Yeongdeungpo-gu Establishes Visiting Redevelopment and Reconstruction Counseling Center on the 1st Floor of Singil 5-dong Community Center with On-site Experts
Communicates with Residents through One-on-One Counseling, Briefings, and Education to Accelerate Maintenance Projects
Aims to Solve Long-standing Issues through Residential Environment Improvement and Bring Tangible Changes to Residents
Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Choi Ho-kwon) announced the establishment of a ‘Visiting Redevelopment and Reconstruction Counseling Center’ to provide residents with accurate information on redevelopment and reconstruction and to accelerate maintenance projects.
According to the district, many apartment complexes are over 30 years old, and there are many deteriorated and substandard houses. For this reason, redevelopment and reconstruction have been long-standing wishes of residents to improve urban and residential environments. Recently, with the government’s easing of reconstruction regulations and Seoul City’s removal of the 35-floor limit on residential buildings, the district is accelerating redevelopment and reconstruction.
The district is promoting a total of 77 redevelopment and reconstruction projects, including ▲Reorganization Promotion Projects (formerly New Towns) ▲Reconstruction of Yeouido apartments ▲Moa Town and rapid integrated planning redevelopment ▲Private maintenance projects ▲Public-led maintenance projects ▲Long-term rental housing construction near stations ▲Small-scale housing maintenance projects.
Against this backdrop, the district will install and operate the ‘Visiting Redevelopment and Reconstruction Counseling Center’ on the first floor of Singil 5-dong Community Center starting next month, where it has been piloting since last year. The center aims to provide accurate information on redevelopment and reconstruction and increase residents’ understanding. Experts in urban planning, architecture, and related fields will conduct ▲one-on-one counseling ▲resident briefings ▲visiting maintenance project resident schools. The center operates weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and consultations are available by phone or in person.
The district expects that using the Visiting Redevelopment and Reconstruction Counseling Center as a hub institution will facilitate communication with residents, accelerate redevelopment and reconstruction, resolve information asymmetry in maintenance projects, and prevent disputes and conflicts.
District Mayor Choi Ho-kwon said, “We will accelerate redevelopment and reconstruction through the Visiting Redevelopment and Reconstruction Counseling Center, consultations with Seoul City, and expert advice. We will communicate at residents’ level and spare no support to swiftly realize residents’ long-held dreams and improve urban and residential environments.”
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