Relief of Bukhansan Height Restriction Zone Bears Fruit After 33 Years... Resolving Residents' Long-Standing Issues Blocked by the Mountain
Various Housing Redevelopment Projects Expected to Gain Momentum Following Bukhansan Height Restriction Zone Relaxation
Maximum Building Height Raised to 15 Floors for Redevelopment Projects, and from 20m to 28m for Individual Constructions
‘New Height Restriction Zone Plan’ to Proceed with Reorganization Within This Year
Oh Eon-seok, Dobong-gu Mayor: “We will use the relaxation of height restrictions as a cornerstone to improve residential environments and return property rights, which have been restricted until now, back to the residents.”
Dobong-gu (Mayor Oh Eon-seok) invited Mayor Oh Se-hoon on the morning of the 30th at 11 a.m. to the height restriction zone area in Ssangmun-dong to explain the current status of the height restriction zone around Bukhansan in Dobong-gu and the local difficulties. Seoul City then announced the ‘New Height Restriction Zone Plan’ containing the details of the relaxation of the height restriction zone around Bukhansan.
As a result, a green light is expected for the exercise of property rights by Dobong-gu residents who have suffered from height restrictions for the past 33 years.
According to Seoul City’s announcement, the maximum height for individual buildings will be relaxed to below 28 meters, allowing an increase of 2 to 3 floors. For constructions through redevelopment projects, buildings can be constructed up to 15 floors if they comply with the landscape management guidelines. Additionally, the Type 1 General Residential Area, which overlaps with the height restriction zone, will have the height restriction zone lifted and be managed as a zoning area.
It is expected that various housing redevelopment projects such as reconstruction and redevelopment in the height restriction zone, where profitability was not secured due to building height regulations, will accelerate.
Dobong-gu’s total area is 50% designated as a greenbelt, and the remaining 50% is livable area. Among the livable area, about 350,000 pyeong (approximately 1.16 km²), which is 11%, has been restricted by the height restriction zone. These areas include Dobong 1-dong, Banghak 2 and 3-dong, and Ssangmun 1-dong adjacent to Bukhansan, designated and managed as a height restriction zone since 1990, where even minimal development was regulated, causing severe residential aging.
Since the launch of the 8th elected term, Dobong-gu Mayor Oh Eon-seok pointed out the irrationality of height restrictions, stating, “81.4% of buildings in the height restriction zone are over 20 years old, and infrastructure such as roads and parking lots is insufficient, resulting in poor residential environments.” He made the relaxation and lifting of height restrictions the top priority. He also emphasized that “due to the district’s characteristics belonging to the Bukhansan area, ‘relaxation of height restrictions’ is essential for smooth progress of reconstruction and redevelopment projects,” advocating the necessity of height restriction relaxation linked to redevelopment projects.
To implement this, Mayor Oh prioritized the relaxation of height restrictions immediately after the start of the 8th elected term and prepared a ‘Rational Management Plan for the Height Restriction Zone’ at the Dobong-gu level. He demonstrated the district’s will and efforts through meetings with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, joint response meetings with the Gangbuk-gu mayor on height restriction relaxation, and submission of petitions signed by about 39,000 residents requesting the lifting of the height restriction zone.
As a result of these efforts, Seoul City announced the ‘New Height Restriction Zone Plan’ to shift from rigid regulation to rational management of the height restriction zone. The plan is to complete the reorganization of the height restriction zone within this year after following procedures such as gathering opinions from residents and the city council and reviewing by the Urban Planning Committee.
Mayor Oh Eon-seok of Dobong-gu said, “The reason we were able to achieve the long-awaited relaxation of height restrictions, a long-standing wish of the residents, is thanks to the united efforts of the residents and Dobong-gu to improve the residential environment.” He added, “Going forward, we will use the relaxation of height restrictions as an opportunity to revitalize reconstruction and redevelopment, improve the district’s deteriorated residential environment, and return the property rights that have been restricted until now back to the residents.”
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