If the government lifts development restrictions, or so-called greenbelts, to create public housing districts, it will temporarily exclude those areas from the total allowable quota for releases. The move is intended to prevent projects included in the Jan. 29 dwellings supply plan, such as the Taereung Country Club and the Gwacheon Racetrack sites, from being delayed by the greenbelt release cap. Attention is now on whether greenbelt zones will be added as new candidate sites in the government's additional dwellings supply measures.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the 10th, the government has revised the "guidelines for establishing amendments to urban and county management plans to adjust development-restricted zones." The revision specifies that when pushing a public dwellings project by lifting a greenbelt, the area will not be counted toward the total allowable greenbelt release quota if it passes deliberation by the Cabinet, among other procedures. The measure will be in place for five years on a temporary basis to stabilize the real estate market through dwellings supply.
Greenbelts are zones designated to prevent disorderly urban sprawl and conserve the environment. To curb indiscriminate releases, there is a system that caps the total allowable amount of releases. Under the current system, if the state or a local government wants to lift a greenbelt, it must select target sites in stages within the quota reflected in the metropolitan urban plan, taking into account development demand. Local governments also can lift greenbelts only within the quota allocated to their respective cities and counties.
Determining that stabilizing the market through dwellings supply is urgent, the government decided to temporarily ease the greenbelt total quota regulation. Previously, additional greenbelt releases were difficult in areas that had already used up their quotas. However, with this guideline revision, greenbelt releases for public dwellings projects will face fewer constraints from the total quota rule. As a result, some public dwellings projects are expected to move faster.
In particular, the measure is expected to affect projects included in the Jan. 29 plan, such as the Taereung Country Club and the Gwacheon Racetrack sites. Concerns had been raised that procedures for these projects could be delayed because of the greenbelt release quota issue. An official at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) said, "With this easing of the total quota rule, we can support lifting greenbelts in areas included in the Jan. 29 plan."
Attention is on whether the government will also play the greenbelt release card in additional dwellings supply measures to be announced going forward. While the temporary easing of the total quota rule broadens candidate sites for supply, opposition to lifting greenbelts remains strong. Critics may say the government damaged the principles of greenbelt policy in the name of dwellings supply.
An official at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) said, "We are reviewing various options for dwellings supply," but added, "No additional measures have been finalized yet."