Seoul City is preparing to ease building regulations related to cultural heritage in the commercial areas of Jongno and Junggu.
On the 10th, Seoul City noted that it plans to initiate a project next month to establish urban management guidelines considering the future value of cultural heritage in the city, the relationship between urban development and cultural heritage, and the current status of surrounding land use.
A plan to ease the 'angle regulation' that Seoul City has applied so far will be the focus of concentrated research.
'Angle' refers to the angle formed by the line of sight and the horizon when looking up at a target from a lower position. The angle regulation sets an angle of 27 degrees based on the boundaries of cultural heritage and restricts the number of building floors to only within the allowable angle range.
The angle regulation around cultural heritage has been operated for over 40 years since it was first introduced in 1981 as a management principle limiting the height of buildings around cultural heritage.
Although the angle regulation was established to prevent damage to cultural properties from indiscriminate development, it has faced criticism for the degradation of surrounding areas and infringement of citizen property rights.
During this research process, Seoul City aims to enhance the historical and cultural landscape of the city center while allowing for improvements in the surrounding areas. Additionally, it plans to establish 'creative and innovative urban management improvement measures' for areas around cultural heritage.
The city stated it will present urban management guidelines considering the location, form, and principles of cultural heritage from multiple perspectives.
Furthermore, based on the guidelines, the city plans to designate a pilot area among urban maintenance-type redevelopment zones to ensure effective view corridors, establish height limits, present building possibilities, and prepare urban and architectural guidelines, while implementing procedures for changing the acceptance criteria through consultations with related agencies.