Three Pilot Sites Selected for Low-Rise Residential Area Individual Redevelopment 'Human Town 2.0'

Seoul City will implement the 'Human Town 2.0' project to allow individual redevelopment of aging low-rise multi-family and multi-unit houses.

Location map of Shinyeong-dong 214 area designated as the pilot project site for Human Town 2.0 (Data provided by Seoul City)

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On the 17th, Seoul City announced that it has selected three pilot project sites for the Human Town 2.0 project: 214 Sinyeong-dong, Jongno-gu; 85-29 Guro-dong, Guro-gu; and 422-1 Mangu-dong, Jungnang-gu, prioritizing individual redevelopment.

The Human Town 2.0 project supports individual construction for the redevelopment of non-apartment housing such as multi-family, multi-unit, and row houses, which were difficult to renovate due to various regulations like height restrictions, scenic districts, and first-class residential zones. This project is a re-launch of the Human Town initiative first introduced in 2010, updated to fit current residential conditions.

The area around 214 Sinyeong-dong, Jongno-gu, selected as a pilot site, is designated as a residential environment improvement project zone since February 2018, located in natural landscape and height-restricted districts, as well as first and second-class residential areas. The building aging rate there reaches 98.3%.

The area around 85-29 Guro-dong, Guro-gu, is a second-class residential zone with a building aging rate of 86.2%, and efforts are underway to designate it as a residential environment improvement project zone. The area around 422-1 Mangu-dong, Jungnang-gu, is a first-class residential zone with a building aging rate of 86%.

The city plans to expand the Human Town 2.0 target areas in the future to include residential environment improvement project zones and urban regeneration activation areas.

Location map of Guro-dong 85-29 area in Guro-gu, designated as the pilot project site for Human Town 2.0 (Data provided by Seoul City)

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When designated as a Human Town 2.0 project site, the following support will be provided: ▲relaxation of construction standards such as floor area ratio and building coverage ratio ▲consulting support from construction-related experts ▲financial support including construction loan and tax reductions ▲new construction purchase lease agreements with SH Corporation and LH Corporation ▲installation and operation of a Moa Center providing housing management services ▲expansion of infrastructure such as roads and public parking lots.

Example of Human Town 2.0 Special Construction Zone (Source=Seoul City)

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To activate new construction or remodeling in aging low-rise residential areas, special architectural zones, concentrated architectural agreement zones, and remodeling activation zones will be designated to relax construction standards such as floor area ratio. These zones can be designated through review by the architectural committee and other procedures, and various construction standards such as building coverage ratio, floor area ratio, height, and landscaping area will be excluded or relaxed to enable harmonious and creative architecture.

For blind spots, narrow or irregular lots where individual development is difficult, joint development is possible through architectural agreements. If new construction is not desired, extension or reconstruction can be done through remodeling. To enable building owners to practically carry out new construction or remodeling by relaxing construction standards, experts called Humanators specializing in urban planning, architectural design, construction, law, finance, and taxation will be matched.

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Financial support includes construction loan guarantees up to 70 million KRW per household from the Housing and Urban Guarantee Corporation (HUG) or the Korea Housing Finance Corporation (HF), covering up to 90% of the loan amount for new construction. For remodeling, up to 60 million KRW in construction costs will be supported. To facilitate the resettlement of original resident owners and secure project feasibility, agreements for partial new construction purchase leases with SH Corporation or LH Corporation will be promoted.

To expand living infrastructure, a 'Moa Center (Village Management Office)' providing comprehensive village and housing management services such as safety patrols, simple home repairs, and parcel storage will be established and operated, and infrastructure such as roads and public parking lots will be improved.

Han Byung-yong, Director of Seoul City's Housing Policy Office, said, "Human Town 2.0 will be a solution to improve the residential environment of aging low-rise residential areas that have been overlooked in various developments. We will strive to stabilize housing for the general public by expanding support for the supply of multi-family and multi-unit housing."

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