Seoul's Gangbuk Area Major Renovation Plan Announced... Development Conditions in Nowon-gu 'Brighten Up'

Comfortable Residential Environment, Future-Oriented Jobs, and Emotional Cultural Spaces: Seoul City Announces Plans in Three Major Areas
Gaining Momentum by Aligning with Key District Projects and Local Issues for a New Phase
Nowon-gu Highlighted as the Biggest Beneficiary Area with Redevelopment, Biomedical Cluster, and Kwangwoon University Station Area Development

Aerial View of Changdong Vehicle Depot Biomedical Cluster

Nowon-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced on the 26th that the 'Gangbuk Area Grand Renovation' plan announced by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has added momentum to the promotion of local pending projects.

The second phase of the Seoul Urban Grand Renovation project, 'Back to the Glory Days of Gangbuk,' announced by Mayor Oh, focuses on providing groundbreaking incentives to improve residential environments, create future-oriented jobs, and expand emotional cultural spaces to revitalize the Gangbuk area, which has become a bedroom community.

The district expects this city plan to be a turning point that will unblock the stalled projects that are key tasks in the district administration. Although about 60%, the highest in Seoul, of apartment complexes are over 30 years old and redevelopment has been delayed, large-scale projects such as the rapid promotion of the biomedical cluster around the Changdong Vehicle Depot and the development of the Kwangwoon University Station area have been announced.

First, due to redevelopment regulation reforms, large apartment complexes in Sanggye, Junggye, and Wolgye are expected to transform into 'new town-level' developments.

The district estimates that among the 44 redevelopment promotion complexes in the area, 22 will benefit from zoning upgrades to semi-residential areas near stations and incentives for floor area ratio increases. This is the result of Nowon-gu’s persistent efforts to improve redevelopment feasibility by appealing to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Seoul City, and it is expected to greatly help resolve the chronic issue of redevelopment feasibility.

In September 2022, the district formed the nation’s first public-private council, the 'Rapid Redevelopment Promotion Team,' and has held regular forums to communicate with residents and experts, supporting smooth redevelopment promotion and building local response capabilities. The contents included in the city’s current plan align with the institutional improvement requests raised through these forums, revitalizing redevelopment projects that had been stalled in various places.

The development around the Changdong Vehicle Depot is also expected to gain momentum. This area has been designated as a target for the introduction of the 'White Site' (Balanced Development Pre-Negotiation System), which mandates job-creating companies and allows developers to pursue desired uses. The approximately 250,000㎡ site, including the Changdong Vehicle Depot and Dobong Driver’s License Test Center, will be developed into a 'Biomedical Cluster.'

Focusing on the 'bio-industry' as future jobs to leap from a bedroom community to the center of the northeastern region, the district is closely consulting with the city while aiming for an innovative model similar to Boston’s LabCentral. After visiting the Boston site and conducting a feasibility study to successfully adapt the model to local characteristics, the district established a dedicated team in January this year and has actively started corporate attraction activities. The strategy is to organically cluster industry-academia-research-hospital sectors to maximize synergy effects, and the White Site system is expected to raise corporate interest, creating a positive atmosphere.

Perspective View of Gwangwoon University Station Area Development Project

Good news is also coming for the Kwangwoon University Station area development, which is scheduled to start construction this year as the project enters its main phase. The possibility of Hyundai Development Company relocating its headquarters here is being seriously discussed.

Since being designated as the preferred negotiator for the Kwangwoon University Station area development project in 2017, Hyundai Development Company has been promoting the project through successful collaboration with the district. About ten officials, including Development Director Park Hee-yoon, have explored urban development cases in Japan alongside the district mayor to draft the blueprint for the Kwangwoon University Station area.

Even during the period when the project faced difficulties due to occupation protests by the stevedores’ union opposing the development, the district mediated the conflict through about 23 sessions over eight months involving the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the stevedores’ union, Hyundai Development Company, and Korail, bringing the dispute to a close.

Regarding Hyundai Development Company’s headquarters relocation, a district official said, “Although not yet confirmed, since it was proposed by our district during the 2018 joint business trip to Japan, we plan to actively support its realization,” expressing optimism.

The district also warmly welcomes the city’s significant announcement of 'expanding commercial area size,' which is being applied to station areas along with large-scale idle sites such as the vehicle depot and the old legal complex in Gongneung-dong. Currently, only 1.7% (0.59㎢) of Nowon-gu’s 35.59㎢ urban planning area is classified as commercial.

Since expanding commercial areas to revitalize the local economy is a mayoral pledge, the district is promoting district unit plan revisions centered on Seokgye Station and Nowon Station, where commercial bases are established, aiming to accelerate regional development in line with Seoul City’s plan.

The undergrounding of railway lines, which had been a constraint hindering efficient land development, is now seen as a new opportunity following the enactment of a special law in January. Since the 4.6 km section of Line 1 from Seokgye Station to Changdong Station passes through the area, the district plans to actively respond to have the Gyeongwon Line selected as a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport pilot project through a 'pre-planning study for above-ground space development of Line 1.'

The plan to expand emotional cultural spaces by key points to create a garden city is also highly welcomed by residents. After establishing healing towns in each area such as Bulamsan, Choansan, and the Railway Park, the district is now actively cultivating waterfront-friendly spaces.

The parkification of the upper space following the undergrounding of the Dongbu Expressway is located in a position that can become a representative park connecting Changdong (Seoul Arena) and Sanggye (Bio-Industrial Complex), making it a notable section among the entire expressway. The district held an international design competition last year to create a representative waterfront park in the approximately 21,700㎡ available space and is currently in consultation with Seoul City and construction companies.

Additionally, the Danghyeoncheon Waterfront Terrace and Ui Stream Observation Caf?, selected last year in Seoul City’s Waterfront Vitalization Hub contest, have completed design and are ready to start construction as soon as the city allocates the budget, aiming to finish by next year.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, stated, “We deeply empathize with Seoul City’s awareness of the development gap between Gangnam and Gangbuk and, on behalf of all our residents, welcome this groundbreaking plan. Since the city’s plan aligns with the aspirations of our residents, we will actively cooperate and do our best to create the Nowon era as the central city of the northeastern region.”

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