Building Heights Increase Along Janghan-ro and Nambu Terminal Streets in Seoul

The height restrictions along Janghan-ro and the area around Nambu Terminal in Seoul will be significantly relaxed. As a result, commercial buildings and other structures can be built taller, improving business viability and space utilization.

On the 20th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced the completion of the third revision of the "Building Height Restrictions by Street Zone." This involves converting "calculation zones," which set building height standards based on road width and the average depth of the land parcel, into "designated zones" where specific heights are assigned. The targeted areas are Janghan-ro and Nambu Terminal.

While the height standards based on the calculation formula limit achieving the floor area ratio for commercial zones, the designation as a designated zone raises the standard heights for individual lots. The city explained, "This will encourage new construction and contribute to revitalizing street spaces," adding, "The purpose is to create an urban landscape that harmonizes with the surrounding environment and to address unreasonable elements by reflecting changed social and institutional conditions."

With this revision, the number of designated zones in Seoul has increased from 45 to a total of 47. Previously, through the first and second revisions, 11 street zones (Cheonho-daero, Gangnam-daero, Siheung-daero, Eunpyeong-ro, Gamasan-ro, Wonhyo-ro, Yangjae-daero, Bongeunsa-ro, Noryangjin-ro, Wangsanno, Bomun-ro) were revised. The city plans to complete the conversion of calculation zones to designated zones by 2027.

47 Designated Areas with Building Height Restrictions by Horizontal Zone. Photo by Seoul City

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This revision also established standards for the 4th and 5th revisions. Considering priorities such as the need for management in line commercial areas, targets will be selected and revised sequentially. After the 5th revision, areas with reduced management necessity will be considered for deregulation.

The height planning operation guidelines were also amended. The guidelines for the entire designated zones were unified, and lots less in need of management, such as residential areas under 150㎡ and adjacent residential zones, are excluded from the application of street zone height standards. Additionally, unnecessary height relaxation criteria were removed, and height relaxation standards for street revitalization and securing pedestrian spaces were greatly expanded. Specifically, the building coverage ratio for low-rise and high-rise sections and the standard height can be relaxed by up to 15% when securing building setback lines, and incentives for public pedestrian pathways, landscaping areas, and building setback spaces are expanded.

To activate the previously underutilized maximum height relaxation, private entities can now directly propose "Special Height Operation Zones," and mandatory application of maximum height relaxation through formulas will be applied when donating infrastructure or installing public facilities to enhance utilization. Special Height Operation Zones significantly increase the allowable height relaxation during joint development. Minimizing vehicle access spaces and creating continuous sidewalks will promote street pedestrian activation and encourage new construction.

Whether building height restrictions by street zone apply can be checked by entering the address (lot number or road name) on the main page of the "Seoul Urban Planning Portal" website.

Han Byung-yong, Director of the Seoul Housing Policy Office, stated, "To create an urban landscape that harmonizes with the surrounding environment, we aim to reasonably relax the building height restrictions by street zone, introduced in 1999, reflecting the times and changed social and institutional conditions," adding, "Through the revision of height restrictions, we will improve space utilization efficiency and systematically enhance building height management."

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