The Seoul Metropolitan Government is promoting the 'Human Town 2.0' project in the area of 47 Okindong, Jongno-gu. Human Town 2.0 is a policy that supports individual construction, such as new construction and remodeling of single-family and multi-family dwellings in low-rise residential areas where full-scale development such as redevelopment and reconstruction is challenging.
On the 4th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it has laid the groundwork to promote the Human Town 2.0 project by modifying the maintenance infrastructure and management plans for the target area of the residential environment improvement project in Jongno-gu.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government noted, "This project focuses on easing construction regulations and expanding public infrastructure so that each household can build or renovate their dwellings alone or jointly, even if it is not redevelopment or reconstruction."
Previously, it was difficult to build new houses or increase the number of floors in Okindong due to reasons such as being a natural scenery area and a height control district. However, the recent modification of the maintenance plan has eased the building height restriction from the previous 3 stories (12 m) to 4 stories (16 m).
In addition, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will utilize public land to create parking lots and pedestrian and green spaces throughout the village so that residents can live comfortably without inconvenience. Plans are in place to widen narrow alleys and create a pleasant environment, significantly improving residents' satisfaction with their living conditions.
Financial support has also been strengthened. Up to 3 billion won will be provided in loans to new construction owners, with interest support of up to 3%.
Residents wishing to expand or remodel their dwellings will also be offered home repair loans based on their property status to reduce their financial burden.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to collaborate with the 'New Village Project' to receive government funding (up to 15 billion won) for the development of infrastructure.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to actively promote the project by designating the Human Town 2.0 candidate site in Okindong as a special building area, an intensive building agreement area, and a remodeling activation area, while relaxing the standards for factors such as floor area ratio, building coverage ratio, and landscaping area.
Additionally, the plan is to promptly pursue the easing of construction regulations in other Human Town 2.0 pilot project areas, such as Mangwoo-dong in Jungnang-gu and Guro-dong in Guro-gu, to continue to promote the supply of non-apartment dwellings.
Choi Jin-seok, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Housing Bureau, said, "Once Human Town 2.0 is fully underway, resident-centered housing maintenance will be activated," and added, "I expect that this modification of the maintenance plan will greatly contribute to creating a pleasant residential environment for the residents of Okindong."