Seoul is introducing an integrated planning initiative for the Moa Town redevelopment project, aimed at reducing the project timeline for aging low-rise residential areas. The city plans to select 100 candidate sites by 2030, shortening the time from site selection to construction from approximately six years to 4.5 years.
According to the city, applications for candidate sites will begin on November 2, with the call for proposals starting on October 13. The city plans to select 12 sites this year and 22 sites annually starting in 2027, ultimately securing a total of 100 sites by 2030. This initiative aims to establish a foundation for an additional 80,000 housing units, bringing the total supply to 120,000 units when including existing plans.
Simultaneous Management Plan Development and Association Establishment
The integrated planning approach allows the city and local districts to develop management plans in collaboration with residents while simultaneously preparing for the establishment of associations. Previously, the management plan was developed before the association establishment process, which often delayed project progress. The new method aims to reduce gaps between planning and implementation.
The management planning process will also change. Instead of being developed solely by local districts or residents, the city and districts will share responsibilities to create a unified plan. The city will handle architectural planning, while local districts will focus on urban planning, integrating both into a single plan. Residents' feedback will be solicited through public meetings to inform the final plan.
A collaborative body called 'Moa One Team' will be established for each project site, involving residents, the city, local districts, Moa integrated planners, and the Seoul Housing and Urban Development Corporation (SH). Residents will manage the association and project implementation, while local districts will support the management plan proposals and association establishment.
To streamline the association establishment process, improvements will allow preparations to begin at the candidate site selection stage. The city will promote 'Moa Town Pre-Designation,' which will approve and announce management plans that include essential legal requirements such as the scope of Moa Town, land use plans, and infrastructure. During this process, local districts will assign serial numbers for association establishment consent forms, enabling residents to collect consent while developing the management plan. Once the required consent rates and conditions for the founding general meeting are met, the association can be established.
Guidelines will be established to enhance the quality of architectural plans. From the management planning stage, the guidelines will outline the placement, height, and form of buildings, as well as plans for communal spaces and circulation, reducing the need to revise management plans after the association is established.
SH to Support Individual Estimated Contribution Calculations; Eligibility Criteria
SH will assist in the process of collecting association establishment consent forms by providing business feasibility analyses and estimated contribution calculations for landowners. This will include appraisals of existing assets, architectural planning, and post-construction asset evaluations to provide residents with estimated project costs and contribution ratios. This transparency aims to build trust among residents from the project's outset.
Eligible areas for application must be between 20,000 square meters and 100,000 square meters in total area and meet the aging criteria, with an overall deterioration rate of over 50%. Each project site must also have a deterioration rate exceeding 50%. Applications require consent from over 60% of landowners and more than half of the land area.
Areas currently undergoing other redevelopment projects, such as maintenance zones, planned maintenance zones, and urban development zones, are excluded from the application process. Areas that have applied for or are undergoing other redevelopment methods, such as rapid integrated planning, are also ineligible. Regions where over 25% of landowners or more than one-third of the land area oppose the project, or where speculative activities are confirmed, will also be excluded.
Advance Rights Assessment Date and Strengthen Sale Rights Criteria
Measures to prevent speculation will be strengthened. The rights assessment date for housing sales will be moved up from the current date of application submission to the date of area disclosure, although the district mayor can request a different date. The criteria for recognizing sale rights will also be tightened, requiring that ownership rights be secured by the day after the assessment date, rather than just completing construction reports by the assessment date. This will be judged based on the date of registration for ownership preservation.
The existing resident proposal method will continue until the end of this year, after which it will be unified under the integrated planning approach starting in 2027. Areas that have prepared resident proposals must secure consent rates by December 31 to apply to their local district. Areas currently collecting consent forms can also participate in the integrated planning candidate site application if they meet the consent rate by the same deadline, although the rights assessment date will follow the existing resident proposal criteria.
Nam No-jun, head of the Housing Policy Division at Seoul, stated, “The integrated planning allows residents and the public to collaboratively establish plans while residents prepare for association establishment simultaneously, reducing timelines and accelerating housing supply. We will fully support residents of aging low-rise residential areas to move into new homes as quickly as possible, from candidate site selection to construction.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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