Seoul is easing building regulations in seven low-rise residential areas, including Mangu-dong in Jungnang District and Suyu-dong in Gangbuk District, to help individual homeowners rebuild or renovate properties where large-scale redevelopment is not feasible. The city will raise the floor area ratio by up to 1.2 times depending on local conditions and ease limits on building coverage and height, allowing homes to be rebuilt while preserving existing alleys and lot boundaries.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said on the 14th that its 18th Building Committee meeting on the 13th approved a plan to designate seven districts covering a combined 253,874 square meters as special architectural zones under the Human Town 2.0 program.
The designated areas are located around 127-37 Mangu-dong in Jungnang District, 522-31 Suyu-dong in Gangbuk District, 300 Samseon-dong 1-ga in Seongbuk District, 432-173 Sindang-dong in Jung District, 370-38 Hwagok 1-dong and 167-10 Hwagok 2-dong in Gangseo District, and 288-7 Gaebong-dong in Guro District. The approval follows the city's announcement on the 2nd of this month designating three other districts, including Ogin-dong, Myeongnyun 3-ga and Mangu 3-dong, as special architectural zones.
Human Town 2.0 supports property owners in rebuilding or renovating homes on a lot-by-lot basis in low-rise residential areas where full demolition and redevelopment are difficult. Designation as a special architectural zone allows five categories of building standards to be eased to suit local conditions: floor area ratio, building coverage ratio, height, open space within the site, and landscaping.
The floor area ratio exemption will be applied on a sliding scale based on how well a project meets district-specific design guidelines. Projects are scored across 12 to 14 criteria covering building layout, exterior design and outdoor spaces. A combined score of five or more qualifies for 1.1 times the ratio set by city ordinance, while a score of 10 or more qualifies for 1.2 times. Owners apply for scoring, and members of the Building Committee evaluate the project and set the final score.
For example, on a roughly 165-square-meter lot in a Class 2 general residential zone limited to seven stories, the maximum floor area counted toward the ratio rises from 330 square meters to either 363 or 396 square meters, depending on the score. In Class 3 general residential zones within Gaebong-dong, the floor area ratio can rise from 250% to as much as 300%.
Exemptions for building coverage and height vary by district. In the Insubong Forest Trail village in Suyu-dong, at the foot of Bukhansan, the building coverage ratio within the designated natural landscape district can rise from 40% to as much as 60%, and the height limit from 16 meters to as much as 20 meters. The easing does not apply to height-restricted districts. In Jangsu Village in Samseon-dong 1-ga, adjacent to the Seoul City Wall, height standards under the district unit plan can be eased by up to 1.2 times, within the sightline restrictions protecting the national heritage site.
Owners seeking the exemptions must submit an exemption application plan outlining the need for the measures and their expected effects, along with a building permit application, to their district office. At the design stage, they can receive free preliminary design work and consultations from Humanators, a panel of experts assembled by the city. Special architectural zones will operate for three years after designation, after which the city will assess the results and decide whether to continue the program. Buildings granted exemptions must break ground within 12 months of receiving a permit or filing notification.
"Human Town 2.0 is a housing innovation model that preserves the value of a neighborhood's old pathways and topography while allowing people to live comfortably," said Myung Noh-joon, head of Seoul's housing bureau. "We will improve the quality of life for residents of low-rise residential areas and cultivate an urban landscape unique to Seoul."