An aging low-rise residential area in Sangdo-dong, Dongjak District, Seoul, will be redeveloped into a housing complex of about 1,800 units. The plan calls for addressing disaster risks such as retaining wall collapse and flooding, while expanding facilities linked to nearby development projects to create a community hub for the Sangdo area.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Oct. 21 that it had finalized its Fast-Track Integrated Plan for the housing redevelopment project in the area around 201 Sangdo-dong. The site sits near Jangseungbaegi Station on Subway Line 7 and is close to Sangdo Elementary School, Sangdo Kindergarten, a park and a market.
The plan focuses on expanding infrastructure in connection with surrounding development projects and creating an open residential complex. Projects underway in the Sangdo area include Fast-Track Integrated Plan schemes, long-term public lease housing near transit stations and local housing association projects.
A park will be built on the northern side of the site, serving as the center of a T-shaped public cluster. Because surrounding development projects had proceeded separately, parks were scattered and roads disconnected; the plan links them together and organizes a public cluster around the school and kindergarten. Education-focused facilities will be placed near Sangdo Elementary School, while amenities such as a senior center will go on the southern side, which has better access to public transit.
The city will also improve the traffic system. In connection with the adjacent Sangdo districts 14 and 15, where Fast-Track Integrated Plans have been completed, Seongdae-ro will be widened to four lanes and 17 meters. With about 10,000 homes, including those on this site, slated for development along Seongdae-ro, the city says it is moving preemptively to meet future traffic demand.
Measures to remove flood risk are also included. The site sits in valley-shaped terrain where rainwater collects, leaving it highly exposed to flooding. The plan calls for overhauling sewer lines in the area to eliminate that risk and turning the road, which carries little outside vehicle traffic, into a multi-level road to improve traffic flow and the walking environment.
The terrain will be used to create living space. Deck parking lots, shared resident facilities and outdoor yards will be placed in sections with elevation differences, connecting walkways within the complex to major facilities. Near Sangdo Elementary School, where a retaining wall collapsed in the past, shared resident facilities will be arranged to follow the slope instead of a tall retaining wall, reducing the risk of collapse and making better use of the space.
"With multiple development projects underway, the Sangdo area of Dongjak District is expected to look very different," said Kim Chang-gyu, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Urban Space Headquarters. "This Fast-Track Integrated Plan lays the groundwork for a residential environment that is safe from disasters, and we hope the area becomes the center of a community where residents gather and interact."