Seoul picks 6 sites for new growth hubs
Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Jung District, Seoul / Yonhap
Seoul is moving to reshape its urban landscape around multiple centers, selecting six sites for projects intended to bring jobs, housing, commerce and culture closer to residents.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday it selected two sites for large-scale growth hubs and four for smaller living hubs as part of an expansion of its transit-oriented development strategy.
The growth-hub sites are in Yeoksam-dong in Gangnam District and Jayang-dong in Gwangjin District, where projects can receive floor-area ratios of up to 1,300 percent under qualifying conditions.
The city said it plans to combine office, commercial, cultural and residential functions at the two sites, which are near major transit hubs and arterial roads.
The Yeoksam site covers 5,475.1 square meters near Seonjeongneung Station and Eonju-ro, while the Jayang site covers 5,132.6 square meters near Konkuk University Station and Achasan-ro.
Four living-hub sites are in Seongnae-dong, Gangdong District; Chang-dong, Dobong District; Junggok-dong, Gwangjin District; and Doksan-dong, Geumcheon District.
The projects will focus on bringing workplaces, commercial services and daily amenities to areas along major roads outside traditional station-centered zones.
The city said it plans to expand the growth-hub program to 28 sites and the living-hub program to 42 sites by 2030.
It will also designate areas around Dongdaemun Design Plaza and Changdong-Sanggye as recommended growth-hub zones, while managing Dobong-ro, Dongil-ro, Tongil-ro, Gonghang-daero, Gyeongin-ro and Siheung-daero as six growth-potential corridors.
The city said it will form working teams involving officials, district governments, prospective developers and urban-planning experts for each pilot site.
Plans are expected by December, with formal administrative procedures, including proposals to initiate planning, beginning in January 2027.
Kim Chang-gyu, head of Seoul’s Urban Space Bureau, said the initiative would extend the city’s March strategy covering 325 station areas to major centers, transfer stations and arterial roads, creating a more densely connected multicentered city.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.