44 Resident Proposals Submitted for Urban Public Housing Complex Project in Seoul, Eligible for FAR Benefits...Final Sites to Be Selected in July

Final Selection in July after Candidate Site Selection Committee Review
Special FAR Exemptions up to 140% for Some Station Area and Low-Rise Residential Districts

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on May 17 that 44 resident proposals have been submitted in the call for candidates for the Urban Public Housing Complex Project in Seoul. Each district will review eligibility criteria and local conditions and recommend candidate sites to the ministry by May 26. The final project sites will then be determined.

The urban complex project is a type in which the government leads the construction of housing and work and industrial facilities in aging urban areas where private-sector redevelopment and maintenance projects have not progressed smoothly. If certain conditions are met, a special exemption allowing a floor area ratio (FAR) of up to 140% is possible. This time, even in the three Gangnam districts—Gangnam, Seocho, and Songpa—which have not previously submitted proposals for the urban complex project, residents participated. In total, 16 autonomous districts applied, with seven proposals submitted from Gangseo District and six from Yeongdeungpo District.

Of the 44 candidate sites, 27 showed a resident participation intention rate exceeding 30%, according to residents’ own calculations. If the intention rate is above 30%, the candidate receives the maximum score for that category during site selection evaluations. By type, there are 16 station area (residential-commercial high-density district) sites, 25 low-rise residential area (housing supply activation district) sites, and three quasi-industrial area sites. The candidate site selection committee, comprised of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Seoul Metropolitan Government, and others, will review resident demand and project feasibility, aiming to make the final selections in July.

Perspective view of the urban public housing complex project near Jemulpo Station. Provided by Incheon City

To enhance project feasibility, the enforcement decree and guidelines of the Special Act on Public Housing have been revised. The scope for relaxing the floor area ratio—up to 1.4 times the legal limit—has been expanded from quasi-residential areas near stations to include type 3 general residential and quasi-residential areas in both station and low-rise residential area types. The mandatory area for parks and green spaces has been expanded from 50,000 square meters to 100,000 square meters. The ratio for installing non-residential facilities has also been relaxed.

According to related laws, the urban complex project was scheduled to sunset at the end of this year, but legislative procedures are underway to extend it by three years, making it possible until 2029. The bill is awaiting a plenary session vote. Since the first project site was selected in 2021, there have been 49 managed project sites; nine have received project approval, and 29 have completed district designation.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport expects that the complex project in the area around Jemulpo Station in Incheon, which was included in the fourth round of projects in 2021, will break ground within the year. If construction begins within the year, it will be five years after the site was selected, which is more than five years faster than typical maintenance projects. The ministry also anticipates that construction will begin in Seoul next year. The ministry aims to start construction on 50,000 units in the Seoul metropolitan area by 2030. Lee Jaepyeong, Director General for Housing Supply Policy at the ministry, stated, "Based on the improved system, we will actively support the project so that it can proceed quickly and smoothly even after candidate sites are selected."

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