Siheung clears 106 long-unexecuted urban planning facilities in priority deregulation zones

Siheung city announced Thursday that it has officially notified changes to district-unit plans covering 24 priority deregulation zones and cleared 106 long-unexecuted urban planning facilities within those zones, effective Thursday.

The notification abolishes urban planning facilities — including parking lots, parks and green spaces — that have gone unimplemented for years and have effectively lost their function. The sites will be designated as public-contribution land.

The affected land had previously been designated as urban planning facilities, restricting owners from building or developing their properties. Under the revised district-unit plans, existing land-use zones remain unchanged, but owners may now build provided they meet public-contribution requirements — a framework the city said it has established to restore property rights.

The public-contribution system is designed to secure public infrastructure such as roads and parks as part of the development process. Through this mechanism, the city said it plans to protect residents' property rights while expanding the urban infrastructure the community needs.

The city said the overhaul aims to ease long-standing restrictions on property use, improve land utilization and systematically build out urban infrastructure through public contributions.

Mayor Im Byeong-taek said roughly 62 percent of Siheung's total area is designated as a development-restricted zone, meaning residents have long faced difficulties exercising their property rights. "This revision to the district-unit plans is a measure to protect residents' property rights and improve the effectiveness of urban planning by clearing long-unexecuted urban planning facilities," he said. He added that the city would continue to reform unreasonable planning regulations to reduce inconvenience for residents.

Meanwhile, the city is drawing up a new road plan as a follow-up measure for urban planning roads set to expire Friday. The plan is expected to be made public for residents to review and submit comments this month. Opinions may be submitted to the District-Unit Planning Team of the Urban Policy Division at Siheung City Hall.