Regulations Eased on '40-Year Height Restriction' Around Subong Park in Incheon

Study Launched to Reassess Height Standards in Elevated District
Urban Management Plan to Be Amended and Announced in February Next Year

The Incheon city government will ease the height restriction regulations that have been in place for over 40 years in the area around Subong Park in Michuhol-gu.

On the 28th, the city announced that it had launched a full-scale effort to relax regulations, having begun a study in February to review the Subong Elevated District. This study is reassessing the viewpoints and height standards of the elevated district in response to changing urban conditions.

The city plans to incorporate the results of the study and initiate procedures to amend the urban management plan in the second half of the year, with the final announcement scheduled for around February next year.

The area around Subongsan (elevation 107 meters) in Incheon's old downtown was designated as an elevated district in 1984 for landscape protection. Despite three rounds of regulatory easing since then, the height of most buildings is still restricted to 15 meters or less.

As a result, it has been difficult to carry out housing maintenance or redevelopment projects, leading to an increase in aging buildings and a deterioration of the residential environment. Over the past 40 years, urban hollowing-out has continued without significant change.

In contrast, the areas adjacent to the Subong Elevated District are relatively free from height restrictions, allowing for active maintenance and development projects. High-density and high-rise construction is accelerating in these neighboring areas, widening the development gap between the Subong Park area and its surroundings.

Through the Subong Elevated District study, the city plans to establish building height guidelines that harmonize with the surrounding environment. The goal is to maintain the landscape value of Subongsan while minimizing infringement on residents' property rights by setting reasonable height standards.

Location map of Subong Elevated District. Incheon City

This adjustment will be carried out in line with Incheon City's broader policy of regulatory relaxation. The city is already working to ease height restrictions around Jayu Park and Wolmi Park as part of the Jemulpo Renaissance, a key urban regeneration project for the old downtown.

In addition to eliminating overlapping regulations on building heights, the city plans to abolish the elevated district designation and manage the area under a unified district unit plan for more flexible administration. The Subong Elevated District will be reorganized in the same manner.

Lee Cheol, Director of Urban Planning at Incheon City, said, "By easing the height restrictions around Subong Park, we aim to revitalize the old downtown and promote balanced regional development."