Sintong Planning Confirmed for Garibong-dong Area... Reborn as a Complex with 1,179 Households

Seoul City announced on the 21st that it has finalized the rapid integrated planning proposal for the ‘Garibong-dong 87-177 Redevelopment Project Candidate Site.’ The Garibong-dong area, a densely packed old honeycomb neighborhood, is expected to transform into a residential complex near the workplace, serving as a hub for the southwestern metropolitan area’s job center, G-Valley (Seoul Digital National Industrial Complex).

The Garibong-dong area was designated as a New Town district in 2003 as a hinterland of the Guro Industrial Complex, Korea’s first export industrial complex. However, the redevelopment project stalled for 10 years, and in 2014, the district was deregulated and later designated as an urban regeneration activation area.

The city plans to upgrade part of this area to a quasi-residential zone, creating a mixed-use residential complex combining commercial, business, and residential functions. The residential complex will cover approximately 40,552 square meters, with buildings up to around 39 floors and about 1,179 households. Considering that the area was planned to be upgraded to quasi-residential during the previous New Town promotion, a portion close to Namguro Station on Line 7 has been upgraded from a Type 2 zone to quasi-residential.

Given that the site is located between the Guro Digital Complex and Gasan Digital Complex, the city will develop an open complex to connect these two separated industrial complexes. A visual corridor and public pedestrian passageway are planned above the urban railway (Line 7) passing through the site to encourage communication between the areas. Since construction is difficult on the ground above the railway passage, a 12-meter-wide public pedestrian passageway will be planned on the surface, connecting Namguro Station to Gasan Digital Complex Station.

Plans also include revitalizing the station area commercial district connected to Namguro Station. Street-type shops will be planned around the station and the lower floors of Umagil to connect the existing commercial flow, and about 30 public rental shops will be placed on the lower floors along the public pedestrian passageway to help small merchants resettle.

Gariibong-dong 87-177 Landscape Plan Concept
[Photo by Seoul City]

Furthermore, except for areas subject to height restrictions due to school sunlight impact, building heights will be flexibly planned up to around 39 floors to create a harmonious skyline through a variety of building heights. The site is traversed by Line 7 (Namguro Station?Gasan Digital Complex Station section), and there were difficulties in utilizing the site due to height restrictions caused by sunlight rights of nearby schools (Yeongil Elementary School). Therefore, the area adjacent to the school will be planned with 6 to 24 floors considering sunlight impact, while other areas will have relaxed height limits up to around 39 floors to balance public interest and project feasibility.

Additionally, convenience facilities will be planned in sections where terrain differences occur by utilizing the sloped topography within the site. This will facilitate convenient pedestrian access and help activate the local community.

With the finalization of the rapid integrated planning proposal for Garibong-dong 87-177, Seoul City expects to complete the maintenance plan decision within the year. The simplified procedures of rapid integrated planning are anticipated to shorten the project duration. Jo Nam-jun, Director of Urban Planning, stated, “Through the rapid integrated planning of Garibong-dong 87-177, this area is expected to serve as a key residential hub supporting G-Valley,” and added, “We hope that the rapid integrated planning will be an opportunity to breathe new life into this neglected and underdeveloped area.”

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