To boost the viability of the Moa Housing and Moa Town initiative projects, the Seoul city government will ease regulations by expanding floor area ratios in station areas to as high as 500% and abolishing height limits in Type 2 general residential zones.
Seoul said on the 9th that it will implement improvements to the Moa Housing and Moa Town initiative systems reflecting these measures.
Moa Housing and the Moa Town initiative are Seoul-style small-scale renewal projects that group aging low-rise residential areas into a single living zone for refurbishment.
First, Moa Town initiative areas located near stations and along arterial roads will be upgraded to quasi-residential zones to raise floor area ratios. If Type 3 general residential zones account for more than half of the project area and the site lies within 350 meters of a station platform or within 50 meters along an arterial road at least 20 meters wide, it can be upgraded to a quasi-residential zone.
Accordingly, the maximum cap on the floor area ratio will be up to 400%, and if purchase-type public rental housing is supplied together, it will be expanded to as high as 500%.
Height controls in Type 2 general residential zones will also be eased. The rule capping the average height at 13 stories in areas previously limited to "seven stories or less" will be scrapped, allowing mid- and high-rise apartments without height limits when developed as block-unit Moa Housing together with adjacent areas.
Standards for installing community facilities for residents will also be relaxed. Going forward, regardless of whether they are open to the local community, installing community facilities such as exercise rooms or reading rooms will qualify for floor area ratio relief. If installed on above-ground floors, additional benefits will be provided within the legal maximum floor area ratio for the corresponding area.
Seoul will also prepare standard processing procedures in line with the expanded scope of integrated reviews for small-scale housing renewal projects and plans to shorten review periods by introducing pre-checklists.