The city of Seoul has decided to release the green belt (restricted development zone) and will begin a complete review. It has been 53 years since the green belt was designated in 1971. The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 6th that it plans to place an order for the ‘Efficient Management and Utilization of Development Restricted Areas’ service within this month.
Following President Yoon Seok-yeol’s announcement last month that he would remove green belts in non-metropolitan areas to revive the stagnant local economy, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has also begun work on removing green belts in Seoul. An official from the Seoul Metropolitan Government said, “We have maintained the position that the green belt should be preserved, but since it has been more than 50 years since it was implemented, we decided that a complete reexamination was necessary in the context of ‘remodeling Seoul.’” He added, “The ordering of services on the premise of lifting the green belt is not possible this time.” “This is the first time,” he said.
Graphics = Kim Ha-kyung
Greenbelt refers to a green area designated in major cities across the country in 1971 to prevent reckless urban development and expansion and protect the natural environment. It was designated with reference to the green belt in London, England. Development, such as new building construction, has been restricted within the greenbelt.
Seoul currently has a green belt with a total size of 149㎢ in the outskirts of Seocho-gu, Gangseo-gu, Nowon-gu, and Eunpyeong-gu. It accounts for a quarter of the total area of Seoul.
Based on 300,000㎡ (90,900 pyeong), the government has the authority to release land larger than that, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government has the authority to release land smaller than that. However, only a maximum of 14.6㎢ (4,416,500 pyeong) can be lifted, which alone is more than five times the area of Yeouido.
Lifting the green belt has emerged as a hot potato whenever the real estate market overheats. Each time, the argument that “greenbelts should be opened up to provide housing” and the argument that “the environment should be protected” clashed. There was also controversy in 2020 during the Moon Jae-in administration, but the controversy was resolved when President Moon directly stated, “We will preserve it for future generations.”
Seoul City’s push to lift the green belt is also related to the ‘Mega Seoul’ discussion, which seeks to integrate Seoul and some areas of the metropolitan area. The Seoul Metropolitan Government believes that the meaning of the green belt that separates Seoul from the metropolitan area has faded as demands for Seoul to be incorporated by local governments in the metropolitan area are growing.
The city of Seoul is comprehensively looking at specific areas to release green belts and how to utilize those areas after release. It is reported that plans are being considered to build next-generation transportation terminals, such as cutting-edge logistics facilities or UAM (Urban Air Transportation), in areas where the greenbelt has been lifted.
An official from the Seoul Metropolitan Government said, “There are many places where (green belts) have already been lifted due to the government’s construction of housing and industrial complexes, and there are many places where the natural environment has been damaged,” and “We plan to first remove the green belt from places that have actually lost their protection value.” . Inside and outside of Seoul, the Suseo Vehicle Base in Gangnam-gu and the Gimpo Airport area in Gangseo-gu are being discussed first.
2024-03-06 11:50:07
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