Jo Myeongrae, Preliminary Candidate for Changwon Special City Mayor, "Changwon Must Break Free from 50 Years of Regulation"

"Normalizing Areas with Mismatched Land Use, Including Seongwon Grand Town"

Jo Myeongrae, a preliminary candidate for Changwon Special City Mayor, has announced a pledge to completely overhaul district unit plans that have hindered Changwon’s growth and to break free from 50-year-old regulatory restraints.

Jomyungrae, a preliminary candidate for mayor of Changwon Special City, is announcing policy pledges. Photo by Se Ryeong Lee

On March 9, at the Changwon City Hall briefing room, candidate Jo held his second policy press conference. He stated, “The urban roadmap designed in the 1970s for the national industrial complex has already reached the end of its lifespan. I will eliminate outdated regulations that have held back citizens living in 2026 and make Changwon’s heart beat again.”

He went on to point out, “Although the 2024 revision of the district unit plan changed the designation from ‘Type 1 Exclusive Residential Area’ to ‘Type 1 General Residential Area,’ the floor area ratio remained the same. Because development is not profitable, people are not renovating their homes, and the private sector can only take a passive stance on real estate issues.”

He added, “As homes remain stuck in the past, they cannot accommodate vehicles, resulting in illegal parking problems in nearby alleys. In some alleys, fire trucks are completely unable to enter.”

To address this, candidate Jo revealed five key strategies: △Upgrading zoning and reclaiming public development gains; △Leading block-unit development; △Introducing negative-use restrictions; △Normalizing floor area ratios in accordance with the National Land Planning Act; and △Implementing a mayor-led task force with KPI-based performance measurement.

He stressed, “I plan to boldly remove restrictions on floor area ratio and building height in Type 1 General Residential Areas. The resulting development gains will be reinvested in the public sector. We will also introduce block-unit development instead of parcel-by-parcel development to create future-oriented residential complexes.”

He further pledged, “By allowing all types of businesses except for hazardous facilities, we will focus on creating an environment desired by young people, such as cafes, studios, and shared offices. In accordance with the National Land Planning Act, we will dramatically apply a building coverage ratio of 60% and a floor area ratio of 200%, and normalize areas with mismatched land use.”

Candidate Jo stated, “Through a task force directly overseen by the mayor, we will systematically manage detailed simulations and social consensus. We will measure and release key performance indicators (KPIs) such as revitalization of redevelopment, residential conditions, and urban vitality.”

He added, “I will boldly break the mold of regulations that have lasted for 50 years and return homes and streets that citizens truly want to live in. I will answer the call of citizens not with empty slogans, but with bold action.”

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