"Seoul Downtown Housing Supply Should Consider Various Household Types Instead of Uniform Complex Development"

On the morning of the 8th, a public hearing for the 'Seoul City Center Basic Plan' was held at the auditorium of the Welfare Building, Seoul City Hall

Experts are preparing for a discussion at the public hearing on the 'Seoul Downtown Basic Plan' held on the morning of the 8th at the auditorium of the Welfare Building, Seoul City Hall. Photo by Hwang Seoyul chestnut@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Seoyul] Regarding the Seoul Downtown Basic Plan announced by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 8th, experts and citizens pointed out the need to establish concrete directions such as devising new housing supply methods, enhancing the effects of green spaces, and improving deteriorated areas.

At the 'Seoul Downtown Basic Plan' public hearing held in the auditorium of the Welfare Building at Seoul City Hall on the morning of the same day, Professor Kwon Youngsang of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Seoul National University stated, "It is crucial to manage residential and commercial real estate effectively in terms of land use management, building height, floor area ratio, and usage control," adding, "In the downtown area, the housing supply method should differ from the uniform approach previously applied by Seoul to other regions."

This reflects the view that since most existing supply methods in Seoul are provided in the form of apartment complexes, the supply in the downtown area should have distinguishing features. Professor Kwon said, "(Seoul downtown) is a downtown competing globally," and emphasized, "We need to consider not only young households but also high-income earners and single-person households." He pointed out, "Rather than uniformly developing complexes and including a certain number of rental housing units and square meters, it is necessary to accurately estimate demand and allow for high-end residential spaces comparable to those in Manhattan if needed," and added, "Currently, small or dormitory-type housing spaces are considered for single-person households, but perhaps spacious studio-type housing forms are also necessary."

Voices were also raised that the green ecological downtown should lead qualitative changes beyond merely achieving quantified targets. Through the downtown basic plan, Seoul announced plans to expand the green area within the downtown, which currently accounts for only 3.3%, to over 15%. Professor Jung Wookju of the Department of Landscape Architecture at Seoul National University said, "Securing over 15% green space through measures such as converting the Songhyeon-dong site into a park and implementing road diets is a challenging task that requires continuous effort," and added, "We must ensure that the green spaces secured with difficulty can produce sufficient effects."

On the morning of the 8th, Kang Byung-geun, Seoul City's Chief Architect and chair of the expert panel discussion at the 'Seoul Downtown Master Plan' public hearing, is summarizing the panelists' remarks. Photo by Hwang Seo-yul chestnut@

Professor Jung cited Singapore’s green spaces as an example. Although Singapore’s green spaces appear extensive, according to Singaporean officials in charge of green spaces, the actual green ratio is not that high; it looks that way because of the abundance of large trees. Professor Jung said, "A low green ratio and well-experienced and utilized green spaces can be different," emphasizing, "Attention must be paid to enhancing the performance of green spaces." Professor Lee Jeseon of the Department of Urban Engineering at Yonsei University also commented, "Many cities lack natural elements, but Seoul is quite well-developed in that regard," and added, "After two years of the pandemic, I believe it is necessary to include carbon considerations in the downtown management equation."

Citizens’ criticisms were also voiced at the public hearing. Mr. Oh, a self-employed person in the Jongno 3-ga area, said, "The Seoul downtown we envision is a city of great historical and cultural significance, but in Ikseon-dong, there are still traditional-style restrooms, outdated water and sewage systems, electrical facilities, and poor internet connectivity," and criticized, "Every time the administration changes, policies fluctuate politically, but there is no real improvement," urging officials to deeply contemplate these issues.

Im Heeji, director of the Urban Housing Innovation Research Center at the Seoul Institute, said, "The 2015 Seoul Downtown Basic Plan, which focused on historical preservation, had many limitations," and explained, "This time, the emphasis is on accommodating future demand and development to continuously improve and resolve stagnation and deterioration." Director Im added, "There are aspects that can only be improved gradually, and the city continues to pay attention and make efforts such as securing budgets for these areas."

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