Pushing for Comprehensive Adjustments to Reflect Policy Changes
"Improving District Unit Planning Zones to Serve as a Foundation for Policy Implementation"
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has begun improving regulations to ensure that measures such as the temporary easing of floor area ratio (FAR) restrictions for small-scale buildings are also reflected in district unit planning zones.
On July 16, the city announced that it had convened the 3rd Subcommittee of the Urban and Architecture Joint Committee and had "approved with amendments" the proposed changes to the Urban Management Plan, which include the temporary easing of FAR limits in Type 2 and Type 3 general residential areas.
With this decision, the amendment to the city planning ordinance (Regulatory Abolition Plan No. 33), which temporarily eases the FAR for small-scale buildings in Type 2 general residential areas from 200% to 250%, and in Type 3 general residential areas from 250% to 300%?both up to the legal maximum for a period of three years?will now be uniformly applied to a total of 244 district unit planning zones, including Garosu-gil.
In addition, criteria for easing height restrictions due to the temporary relaxation of the FAR have been established, so that the height limits set in existing district unit plans will also be relaxed. The city stated that the ordinance amendment made in May will now apply equally to district unit planning zones, which is expected to expand housing supply in the city center and help the construction industry recover.
The city also added Regulatory Abolition Plan No. 1, which abolishes or relaxes the ratio of non-residential facilities in quasi-residential and commercial areas, to 65 zones where the non-residential facility ratio had been applied, including youth housing near subway stations. As a result, business operators in these 65 zones will now be able to independently choose non-residential standards as needed.
Furthermore, for 57 zones including the Daechi Land Development District, the ongoing district unit plan FAR system reform since last year will be applied. This includes expanding the scope of maximum FAR application, increasing incentives for permissible FAR, and raising the base FAR for quasi-residential and commercial areas.
This readjustment plan will undergo a re-examination process for each zone and is scheduled for final approval and public notice next month.
Cho Namjun, Director of the Seoul Urban Space Headquarters, stated, "This readjustment is a comprehensive measure to quickly apply the regulatory abolition plans currently being promoted by Seoul to district unit planning zones. We will continue to improve and develop these zones so that they remain a key foundation for the implementation of Seoul's policies in the future."
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