The areas of Sanggye, Junggye, and Hagye in Nowon District, Seoul, are expected to be transformed through a reconstruction project into a self-sufficient city of 100,000 households where jobs, housing, and culture come together.
The Seoul city government said on the 11th that it held the 15th Seoul City Urban and Architecture Joint Committee the previous day and approved with amendments the "readjustment (draft) of the district unit planning zones for Sanggye (phases 1 and 2), Junggye, and Junggye 2 housing site development districts."
The area is a housing site development project created in the 1980s as part of the "supply of 2 million dwellings" policy and has long served a residential-centered urban function. However, 30 to 40 years after its creation, as complexes have aged and new housing demand has increased due to changes in the population structure and lifestyle, readjustment into a self-sufficient city is needed.
The plan includes basic development directions and guidelines that reflect spatial condition changes such as development around the Chang-dong railcar depot and shifts in the social and economic environment.
If reconstructed as proposed, the Sanggye (phases 1 and 2), Junggye, and Junggye 2 districts, which currently consist of 76,000 households, will be reborn as a northeastern hub city of 103,000 households.
To boost business feasibility and strengthen self-sufficiency through mixed-use development centered on station areas by upgrading zoning districts, the Seoul city government introduced the concept of "complex renewal." Designation as a complex renewal zone will move beyond a residential focus to accommodate diverse mixed uses, strengthening station-area functions and enabling high-density mixed-use development that integrates jobs, housing, and culture.
In addition, to create a green ecological city that combines mountains and waterfronts, a pedestrian and green network will be built for consolidation between Jungnang Stream and Surak and Bulam mountains. Small, dispersed parks within existing complexes will be relocated to strengthen accessibility and connectivity.
To secure open views, four wide-area view corridors were set along the major arterial roads in the area, and three district view corridors were set along 20-meter public pedestrian passages.
Living service facilities such as child care centers, sports facilities, and open community facilities linked to public pedestrian passages were planned every 10 minutes on foot (a 500-meter radius).
A specialized design open to the waterfront will also be introduced to guide a harmonious landscape with Jungnang Stream. Heights were set at 150 meters for Type 3 general residential areas and 180 meters for complex renewal zones.
The Seoul city government plans to finalize the district unit plan within the year after a reinspection notice as early as Nov.
The committee also approved with amendments the "Hwayang 2 District unit plan decision (change) draft." The main content of the change plan is to ease development regulations for the target area (around 3-1 Hwayang-dong, Gwangjin District) to revitalize commercial districts around the university area and enhance regional competitiveness.
The parking installation standards, which have functioned as a development constraint due to the area's characteristics, will be eased. By newly and selectively establishing zones for relaxed standards targeting areas dense with small, aging lots, developers will be able to secure ground-floor retail area when constructing new buildings.
The maximum development scale, joint development designation, and lot subdivision line plans will be fully abolished, and an incentive for permitted floor area ratio (up to 360%) will be applied to allow more flexible and free development. Aging pedestrian environments will also be improved.
The "Mia Station area district unit plan decision (change) draft" also passed the committee's review. In response to the revitalization of surrounding redevelopment projects in the target area (around 197-5 Mia-dong, Gangbuk District), a plan was established to relax building use regulations.
For project sites abutting roads at least 2 meters wide on the arterial section of Dobong-ro, restrictions on floor area for business facilities (excluding officetels) and retail facilities within Type 3 general residential areas will be eased.
The maximum development scale and designated uses, which had functioned as regulations, will be abolished, and height plans will be relaxed to increase private development capacity. Solmae-ro and back roads will have their widths expanded to improve the pedestrian environment.