Mandatory Introduction of Over 10% Non-Residential Use in 177 District Unit Planning Zones
Final Abolition to Be Decided Next Month After Urban Architecture Committee Review
Ordinance Amendment to Ease Non-Residential Ratio in Commercial Areas to Be Completed in First Half of the Year
Seoul City has rolled up its sleeves to swiftly implement the 'Regulation Abolition No. 1,' which relaxes the ratio of non-residential facilities in commercial and quasi-residential areas. From next month, the mandatory introduction of a non-residential ratio of 10% or more in 177 district unit planning zones' commercial and quasi-residential areas will be abolished, and the relaxation of the non-residential ratio in commercial areas is expected to be finalized through ordinance amendments within the first half of the year.
On the 5th, Seoul City announced that it will finally abolish the non-residential use standard, which mandates that at least 10% of the floor area ratio in commercial and quasi-residential areas in 177 district unit planning zones be used for non-residential purposes, through the review of the Urban Architecture Joint Committee by next month.
The plan to relax the non-residential ratio in commercial areas from 20% to 10% is currently undergoing ordinance amendment work and is expected to be completed within the first half of the year.
By directly initiating and deciding the procedures, which usually take about six months on average from proposal by autonomous districts to decision by Seoul City, the city aims to shorten the process to three months and promote rapid regulation abolition.
Seoul City announced Regulation Abolition No. 1 on the 5th of last month, which relaxes the ratio of non-residential facilities in commercial and quasi-residential areas. The main content is to lower the non-residential facility ratio in residential mixed-use buildings in commercial areas from 20% to 10% of the total floor area according to the Urban Planning Ordinance, and to abolish the mandatory floor area ratio of 10% or more set by the district unit planning guidelines in quasi-residential areas.
After the announcement of the regulation abolition plan, the city amended the 'Seoul City District Unit Planning Establishment Standards' on the 16th of last month to abolish the 10% floor area ratio regulation for non-residential facilities in residential mixed-use buildings in quasi-residential areas. Currently, the non-residential ratio does not apply to new zones.
However, for some zones that operate non-residential ratio standards separately from Seoul City's standards, the city plans to review whether to amend these standards during future individual district unit planning zone reorganizations, considering the purpose of introducing plans such as street activation. For example, the main roads in the commercial area of the Sillim district are subject to a 20% non-residential ratio, and the main roads within 250 meters of the Yeouido apartment district's station area are subject to a 30% non-residential ratio.
This district unit planning amendment proposal also includes reorganization plans for 98 zones where the allowable floor area ratio was increased by 1.1 times the ordinance floor area ratio following last year's floor area ratio system reform.
Detailed information on the 177 district unit planning zones subject to changes and the reorganization plans can be checked from the 6th for two weeks on the Seoul Urban Space Portal's public inspection announcement.
Jo Nam-jun, head of Seoul City's Urban Space Headquarters, said, "With the full-scale operation of Regulation Abolition No. 1, we expect it to serve as a stepping stone to revitalize the construction economy by inducing free and creative planning within district unit planning zones." He added, "We will continue to make every effort to discover and promote regulation abolition plans so that citizens can directly feel the changes in Seoul's urban space."
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