Seoul designates 7 more zones under 'Human Town 2.0' program, easing rules for low-rise neighborhoods

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will ease building regulations in seven zones — including the area around 432-173 Sindang-dong, Jung-gu — allowing homeowners to renovate or rebuild while preserving the character of their neighborhoods.

The city said Tuesday that its 18th Architecture Committee approved designation plans for seven Human Town 2.0 project sites covering a combined 253,874 square meters. The newly added sites are the areas around 127-37 Mangu-dong in Jungnang-gu, 522-31 Suyu-dong in Gangbuk-gu, 300 Samseon-dong 1-ga in Seongbuk-gu, 432-173 Sindang-dong in Jung-gu, 370-38 Hwagok 1-dong in Gangseo-gu, 167-10 Hwagok 2-dong in Gangseo-gu, and 288-7 Gaebong-dong in Guro-gu.

Human Town 2.0 targets low-rise residential areas where large-scale redevelopment is difficult, relaxing regulations so homeowners can repair or build new homes while retaining existing alleyways and the overall shape of the neighborhood. Once designated as a special architecture zone, a site receives relaxed standards — tailored to local conditions — for landscaping requirements, building coverage ratio, floor-area ratio, open space on lots, and height limits under the Building Act.

Under the new designations, the seven zones can receive up to 1.2 times the floor-area ratio set by municipal ordinance, depending on how well a building plan meets the area's design guidelines. Building coverage ratio and height exemptions will vary by zone based on topography, zoning category and existing plans. The city will evaluate how thoroughly each architectural plan reflects the zone's design guidelines: plans scoring 5 points or above will receive 1.1 times the ordinance floor-area ratio, while those scoring 10 or above will receive 1.2 times.

In Mangu-dong, Jungnang-gu — a second-class general residential zone — buildings that include community spaces or small retail units on the ground floor will see the building coverage ratio for that floor relaxed from 60 percent to as much as 70 percent, a measure aimed at revitalizing the local alley commercial district.

The Insubong Forest Village in Suyu-dong, Gangbuk-gu sits at the foot of Bukhansan and has long faced construction restrictions under natural landscape zone regulations. The city will allow the building coverage ratio there to be relaxed from 40 percent to as much as 60 percent, and the height limit from 16 meters to as much as 20 meters. The relaxation will not apply to altitude-restricted districts.

Jangsu Village in Samseon-dong 1-ga, Seongbuk-gu sits adjacent to the Seoul City Wall. The city relaxed its building height limit — previously capped under a district unit plan — to up to 1.2 times the standard, within the bounds of heritage elevation-angle regulations.

For Hwagok 1-dong and Hwagok 2-dong in Gangseo-gu and Sindang-dong in Jung-gu — the largest of the seven sites — the city will allow the sloped terrain to be utilized. Where below-ground floors are exposed above ground and used as parking or non-residential space, the building coverage ratio for those portions will be recognized at up to 80 percent, up from 60 percent. In Gaebong-dong, Guro-gu, which includes a third-class general residential zone, the floor-area ratio can be raised from 250 percent to as much as 300 percent, improving conditions for redevelopment.

Building owners seeking the exemptions must submit a "special exemption application plan" — detailing the reasons for the exemptions and their expected effects — together with a building permit application to their district office. During the design phase, they can receive free planning consultations from Humanator, the city's expert advisory panel.

Myeong No-jun, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Housing Bureau, said the city's growing recognition in global urban rankings reflects "the harmony between Seoul's historic alleyways and scenery and its future competitiveness." He added that the city would "improve the quality of life for residents in low-rise neighborhoods and cultivate Seoul's own distinctive urban landscape through Human Town 2.0."

Meanwhile, the city had already officially designated three Human Town 2.0 sites — in Okin-dong and Myeongnyun 3-ga in Jongno-gu, and Mangu-dong in Jungnang-gu — as special architecture zones on Oct. 1. Special architecture zones operate on a temporary basis for three years after designation.