'Compact City' in Gongneung Station Area... 426 Housing Units and Living SOC to be Established

Seoul City’s First Transit-Oriented Development Pilot Project in Full Swing

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] A 'compact city' including 426 residential units, a startup support center, the Kiwoom Center, sports facilities, and other living SOC will be established near Gongneung Station on Seoul Subway Line 7. This marks the first project to be actively pursued among the five pilot sites for station area revitalization announced by Seoul City last year.

On the 23rd, Seoul City held the 19th Urban and Architectural Joint Committee and announced on the 24th that it had approved the designation of a district unit planning zone and the revised plan for the station area revitalization project at 375-4 Gongneung-dong, Nowon-gu.

The main point of this plan is to change the zoning from Type 3 General Residential Area to Neighborhood Commercial Area to encourage private development, and to expand public contribution facilities in line with the zoning upgrade, introducing various local necessary facilities such as a startup support center, business, culture, and sports.

A total of 426 housing units will be supplied: 69 public rental units and 357 private sale units. To provide a total care program necessary for startups, the startup support center (public rental commercial space) has been expanded (1,143㎡). The Kiwoom Center and sports facilities, which are lacking in the area, are also planned. The lower floors will be equipped with non-residential facilities and designed as open spaces to promote street activation and improve the pedestrian environment.

The area around Gongneung Station, where the site is located, hosts five universities and is home to many one- to two-person households, newlyweds, and young people in their 20s and 30s. Considering these characteristics, housing is planned mainly for small households, and the self-sufficient function is strengthened by utilizing the lacking living infrastructure and local resources such as nearby universities.

With the district unit plan for the Gongneung Station area revitalization project finalized, the project will proceed through approval procedures such as the architectural committee review, aiming for project plan approval in the second half of next year and completion in 2023.

So far, Seoul City has promoted station area revitalization projects as an urban planning strategy to solve urban problems arising from rapid urban growth and to expand the lacking living infrastructure in the region to revitalize the city center. The core is to create a compact city through three-dimensional mixed-use development centered on station areas that are convenient for living and working and have concentrated public transportation infrastructure.

The site is a pilot project area for station area revitalization, and among the five pilot sites, it is the first to have its district unit planning zone designation and plan finalized. Accordingly, the station area revitalization project announced by Seoul City last June, focusing on customized mixed-use development by station area, can be concretely realized. The city expects that the other four projects, including those around Banghak Station, Hongdae Entrance Station, Sinlim Line 110 Station area, and Boramae Station, which are undergoing urban management planning decision procedures, will also gain momentum.

Lee Jeong-hwa, Director of the Seoul City Urban Planning Bureau, said, "Starting with the Gongneung Station area revitalization project, we will expand infrastructure that practically supports citizens' lives and realize balanced regional development through station area development, which is currently underdeveloped and neglected but has great potential and ripple effects."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.