Seongnam said it will ease floor area ratio standards to allow a higher residential share in mixed-use buildings in commercial zones, a move expected to improve the viability of redevelopment projects in older downtown areas, boost housing supply and help reduce vacant retail space.
Under the current system, the city progressively lowers the permitted floor area ratio as the residential share of a mixed-use building's total floor area increases.
The city decided to relax the floor area ratio standards to encourage more mixed land use in commercial zones, reflecting shifts in lifestyle patterns, growing residential demand in transit-oriented areas and a rise in vacant commercial units.
Under the revised rules, redevelopment projects in general commercial zones will be able to apply a floor area ratio of up to 500 percent even when the residential share reaches 80 percent of total floor area — up from the previous threshold of 60 percent for the same 500 percent ceiling.
For buildings outside formal redevelopment projects, mixed-use structures with a residential share of up to 80 percent will also be eligible for a floor area ratio of up to 450 percent, improving conditions for new construction.
The city said the eased standards are expected to help raise the residential ratio in the Jung 2 zone urban environment improvement project, a redevelopment initiative under way in a general commercial zone, thereby strengthening its financial viability.
"This is about improving land use standards in commercial zones in a more rational way that reflects changing urban conditions and residential demand," Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin said. "We will continue to develop sound urban planning systems that take into account both the characteristics of each area and the property rights of residents."
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