Hapjeong District Gains Momentum in Expanding Tourism Infrastructure... Hotel FAR to Rise by Up to 1.3 Times

[Financial News] Development standards for residential and commercial facilities in the urban renewal promotion district around Hapjeong Station are set to be significantly relaxed, giving momentum to regional revitalization and the expansion of tourism infrastructure.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said on the 29th that it held the second Urban Renewal Subcommittee meeting on the 28th and approved with modifications the "Amendment to the Hapjeong District District-Unit Plan (Retained Management Area)." The urban renewal initiative was pursued to reflect recently revised Seoul policy guidelines and improve conditions for private development by standardizing planning criteria that had varied from zone to zone.
First, the complicated floor area ratio system will be significantly overhauled. The base floor area ratio will be raised to match the bylaw floor area ratio, and the permissible floor area ratio may be raised to as much as 110% of the bylaw floor area ratio when public-interest elements such as smart cities, carbon neutrality and design innovation are incorporated. In addition, the items eligible for the maximum floor area ratio will be expanded to include publicly accessible open spaces, energy-efficiency ratings and green buildings.
Conditions for housing development in commercial areas will also improve. The mandatory non-residential-use ratio, set at 10% of the floor area ratio under the existing district-unit plan, has been abolished, allowing more flexible development tailored to local site characteristics. However, when constructing mixed-use residential-commercial buildings in commercial areas, the urban planning bylaw requirement that non-residential uses account for 10% of the total floor area must still be followed.
In line with the increase in foreign tourists, incentives have also been introduced to facilitate the development of tourist accommodation facilities. If a commercial area with an active business district is designated as a tourist accommodation-focused zone and accommodation facilities meeting standards of three stars or higher are built, the floor area ratio may temporarily be relaxed to up to 1.3 times the bylaw floor area ratio, or no more than 1,040% under the general commercial area standard. This relaxation applies when an application for a building permit is submitted by January 4, 2029.
Myeong No-jun, Director General for Housing of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, "Through this renewal of the district-unit plan for Hapjeong District, we expect not only to improve the quality of the residential environment around Hapjeong Station but also to effectively expand the tourism infrastructure that has been lacking."

[email protected] Jeon Min-kyung Reporter