Seoul City Center Master Plan to be Released This Year... Public Hearing to be Held on the 8th

Seoul Downtown Basic Plan Draft, Gathering Opinions from Citizens and Experts
Maximum Height → Standard Height Transition... Plans to Introduce Incentives for Expanding Green Spaces

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] Seoul City is preparing a forum to gather opinions from citizens and experts as it establishes the 'Seoul Downtown Basic Plan.'

On the 7th, Seoul City announced that it will hold a public hearing on the 'Seoul Downtown Basic Plan' at 10 a.m. on the 8th in the auditorium of the Welfare Building at Seoul City Hall.

The Seoul Downtown Basic Plan is a strategic blueprint for the development of downtown Seoul, presenting the basic direction of policies for the next five years and preparing strategic tasks accordingly. It is established every five years in accordance with the 'Ordinance on Special Support for the Historic Downtown of Hanyangdoseong in Seoul Special City.' This plan, initiated in June 2020, was created through multiple online and offline meetings and discussions involving experts, city and district officials, and citizen participation groups.

The plan reflects changes in conditions such as the '2040 Seoul Urban Basic Plan' and aims to incorporate both past and future by including a new direction where historical preservation and development coexist, according to the city’s explanation. Over the past five years, as downtown growth stagnated and competitiveness weakened, the vision of a 'vibrant downtown, attractive downtown' was set to complement the limitations of existing policies.

In particular, management standards such as height regulations within downtown and historical and cultural resources, which hold significant weight in the basic plan, will be made flexible to serve as practical means. The existing maximum height will be changed to a standard height, and various incentives to enhance public benefits such as expanding green spaces will be utilized. Subsequent plans (district unit plans, maintenance plans) will specify the height regulations in detail.

Additionally, the list of historical and cultural resources within downtown will be unified and managed under the Architectural Asset Promotion Implementation Plan. While the public management role will be strengthened for major management targets, other architectural assets will be encouraged to be preserved by providing floor area ratio benefits when preserved.

After the public hearing, the city plans to finalize and announce the basic plan in December following administrative procedures such as consultations with related agencies and advice from the Urban Planning Committee.

Yeo Jang-kwon, head of Seoul City’s Balanced Development Headquarters, said, "Through the new basic plan where historical preservation and development coexist, we expect to maintain the historical and cultural characteristics within downtown Seoul while recreating the downtown by strengthening industrial infrastructure through development and maintenance, and creating abundant green spaces, thereby driving the competitiveness of Seoul’s representative space, downtown Seoul."

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