Introduction of ‘Korean White Zone’ by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
Singapore Marina Bay Benchmarking
Deregulation promotes convergence development
Commercial establishments in residential areas are also permitted.
Possible to proceed within the year at the earliest
Like Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, a Korean-style ‘white zone’ will be introduced, where operators can freely determine land use, floor area ratio, and building-to-land ratio.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced the ‘Urban Planning Innovation Plan’ on the 5th. The current urban planning system established in the era of manufacturing can only build buildings suitable for residential, commercial, and industrial purposes, and different floor area ratios and building-to-land ratios are applied depending on the use area.
However, a new spatial strategy is required according to the changing times. Accordingly, the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs decided to completely reorganize the urban planning system to enable convergent urban development free from regulations.
First, a Korean-style white zone, ‘Urban Innovation Zone’, will be introduced. In this zone, the local government can freely set the floor area ratio and building-to-land ratio without any restrictions on land and building use. However, the ratio of single use is limited to 70% and residential use to 50%+α or less to suit the purpose of mixed use.
A representative development success case is Marina Bay in Singapore, which was an old port complex in the past, but with the introduction of the White Zone, it has now become a residential, tourism, and international business complex. In Korea, high-density convergence complexes can be created when facilities such as offices, hotels, residences, and parks are built on idle sites in the city center, such as the railway maintenance depot site.
Also, in the ‘multi-use zone’, it is possible to install other facilities without changing the existing use zone. Commercial facilities in residential areas and residential/commercial facilities in industrial areas can be built. It is introduced in areas where the city is aging and declining and needs change, but gradual conversion is required.
In addition, an ‘Urban Planning Facility Multi-Dimensional Complex’ will be created that can utilize sports facilities, universities, and terminals in a complex way. Currently, even if the location conditions are excellent, it is limited to single and flat utilization due to restrictions on use, etc., but it is possible to promote three-dimensional urban planning, such as undergrounding roads and railways and developing complexes on the top.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport expects that through this urban space innovation, creative landmarks tailored to the characteristics of each city will be created. The city planning period currently takes at least 4 to 6 years, but by shortening it to 2 years, it is possible to reorganize the spatial structure quickly.
The law needs to be revised, so the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to propose a bill this month and revise sub-statutes within this year. For the stable settlement of the system, the leading project is promoted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and it is expected that it will be possible within this year at the earliest.
Reporter Ok Seong-gu, Sejong
