Seongnam Eases Density Rules to Allow More Housing in Commercial Zones

SEONGNAM — The city of Seongnam said on the 29th that it will ease its permitted floor area ratio standards to allow a higher share of residential space in mixed-use residential and commercial buildings in commercial zones.

Until now, the city has applied progressively lower permitted floor area ratios as the share of residential floor space in such buildings increased. Critics said the approach limited project planning even in areas with strong housing demand.

The city said urban conditions have changed significantly in recent years, citing shifts in lifestyles, rising housing demand around subway stations and a growing number of vacant retail spaces in commercial zones. As a result, it decided to move away from land-use standards centered solely on commercial functions and instead encourage mixed land use in which residential and commercial functions operate together.

The core of the revision is a larger permitted residential share in mixed-use buildings within general commercial zones. For redevelopment projects, a floor area ratio of up to 500% previously applied when residential floor space accounted for 60% of the total. Going forward, a ratio of up to 500% can apply even when residential space accounts for 80%.

Standards will also be relaxed for ordinary construction outside redevelopment projects. The city said it will allow a floor area ratio of up to 450% for mixed-use buildings in which residential space accounts for 80% of total floor area, improving conditions for construction.

Seongnam said the measure should also benefit the Jung 2 District urban environment improvement project, which is under way in a general commercial zone. Allowing a higher residential share will improve the project's financial viability and reduce concerns about vacancies caused by an oversupply of commercial facilities, the city said.

The city also expects the change to increase housing supply in older downtown districts and raise land-use efficiency in existing commercial zones. It said it plans to set urban planning standards suited to local conditions while protecting residents' property rights and restoring urban functions.

"The aim is to reasonably improve land-use standards in commercial zones to reflect changing urban conditions and housing demand," Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin said. "We will continue to develop urban planning systems that take into account both local characteristics and residents' property rights."