Seoul City Revises Floor Area Ratios for Five Retention Management Zones Including Miasageori Station

District Unit Plans Revised in Redevelopment Promotion Districts
FAR System Overhauled; Non-Residential Ratio Eased in Quasi-Residential and Commercial Zones
Stimulating Private Development

Location map of five district unit planning zones (preservation management zones) including Miasageori Station. Seoul City

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is revising the district unit plans for five retention management zones within redevelopment promotion districts, raising the floor area ratio (FAR). In line with this, the city also plans to abolish the mandatory non-residential ratio in quasi-residential and commercial zones to expand housing supply.

On March 25, the city announced that it had held the 2nd Urban Redevelopment Committee meeting and approved, with modifications, the “Redevelopment Promotion Plan (District Unit Plan for Retention Management Zones)” for five locations, including Miasageori Station.

The designated areas are the Miasageori Station district unit planning zone in Gangbuk-gu, and the Gajaeul, Bukahyeon, Ahyeon, and Hongje district unit planning zones in Seodaemun-gu. Retention management zones refer to areas within redevelopment promotion districts designated under the Special Act for Urban Redevelopment Promotion due to deterioration, but which either do not meet the requirements for redevelopment or reconstruction, or are deemed necessary to be maintained and managed as is.

Going forward, the standard FAR for the five retention management zones within redevelopment promotion districts will be raised to match the regulatory FAR set by city ordinances. Additionally, the permissible FAR can be increased up to 110% of the ordinance FAR when implementing public-interest measures such as smart city features, carbon neutrality, or design innovation. The scope of items eligible for maximum FAR application will also be extended to include public open spaces, energy efficiency ratings, and green building initiatives.

A city official stated, “Typically, the standard FAR is set lower than the ordinance FAR, but this revision brings the two into alignment. We have also raised the permissible FAR up to 1.1 times the ordinance FAR.”

Furthermore, restrictions on the non-residential usage ratio in quasi-residential and commercial zones have been relaxed. The previously mandatory 10% non-residential usage ratio under the FAR in these zones has been abolished, allowing for flexible application. Amendments to the urban planning ordinance now temporarily permit higher FARs for small-scale buildings (with exclusive residential areas of 85 square meters or less per household) in Type 2 and Type 3 general residential areas for a period of three years.

With this decision, the city aims to stimulate private development, including housing supply, by extending regulatory easing—including FAR relaxation—to general construction projects as well, rather than limiting it to redevelopment projects. Out of 15 zones across nine districts in Seoul targeted for district unit plan changes within retention management zones, the city has prioritized five zones in two districts for the initial update. The remaining ten zones will be addressed sequentially.

Choi Jinseok, head of housing policy at Seoul Metropolitan Government, stated, “Following regulatory innovation in redevelopment promotion projects, we expect this comprehensive maintenance of retention management zones to bring about tangible improvements in the quality of residential environments that citizens can truly experience.”

Schematic plan for converting the sports facility site in Shingil 5 District. Seoul City

At this Urban Redevelopment Committee meeting, a proposal to convert a 1,027.6-square-meter vacant cultural facility site in the Shingil 5 District of Yeongdeungpo-gu into a sports facility was also approved. This site will be developed into a community sports complex equipped with a swimming pool.

Shingil 5 District is an area where Boramae SK View was completed in January 2020, and there has been strong community demand for more public sports facilities. The new facility will be constructed with a building coverage ratio of 60% or less, a floor area ratio of 200% or less, and a maximum height of four stories. The specific development plan will be finalized through a separate design competition and administrative procedures conducted by Yeongdeungpo-gu.

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