Seoul Seeks Moa Integrated Planning Sites, to Select 100 for 80,000 Homes

Candidate-site recruitment begins October 13; applications accepted starting November 2
Timeline from candidate-site selection to construction commencement cut from 6 years to 4.5
100 sites to be selected by 2030, paving the way for 80,000 housing units

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (second from right) toured the area around Seogye-dong and Cheongpa-dong in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on August 11, where resident-selected private redevelopment projects, including redevelopment under the Rapid Integrated Planning initiative and Moa Town projects, are underway. (Photo by Yonhap News)

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said on October 12 that it has drawn up a “Moa Integrated Planning Initiative” to shorten the timeline for Moa Town projects, which carry out small-scale improvements in aging, low-rise residential areas, and will begin accepting applications for candidate sites on October 13.

Moa Integrated Planning is a public-private collaborative initiative in which the government and residents jointly draw up a Moa Town management plan while simultaneously working to establish a Moa Housing association. It adapts the Rapid Integrated Planning program to the characteristics of Moa Housing and Moa Town projects, with the key aim of linking planning and project implementation.

In August 2026, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced its “Moa Town Fast-Track Integrated Planning Initiative.” It will pursue Moa Integrated Planning around three key strategies: dramatically shortening the timeline to accelerate the supply of Moa Housing; creating more livable Moa Towns by improving the quality of architectural plans; and strengthening support to speed up projects in ways residents can see and feel.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to select 100 candidate sites by 2030, laying the groundwork to supply an additional 80,000 Moa Housing units. It will select around 20 sites each year, taking into account the appropriate scale of projects in each Moa Town. The number of sites selected and the scale of housing supply may be adjusted in part after monitoring future housing supply and demand.

The process for drawing up Moa Town management plans will change. Previously, district offices or residents drew up the plans on their own. Going forward, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and district offices will share responsibilities and jointly prepare the plans with the participation of resident groups.

Preparations to establish an association can also begin as soon as a candidate site is selected. Previously, residents could not collect consent forms until the management plan was complete, a process that took around two years or more. In the meantime, residents’ interest waned and momentum for moving projects forward weakened.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to shorten the time from candidate-site selection to construction commencement from around six years to around 4.5 years, accelerating housing supply in low-rise residential areas.

It will also improve the quality of project plans. When drawing up management plans, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will establish architectural guidelines for Moa Housing that take both public benefit and project feasibility into account. The guidelines will set out directions for building layout, height and form, helping reduce trial and error.

Applications for Moa Integrated Planning candidate sites will be accepted starting November 2. Eligible areas must cover at least 20,000 square meters but less than 100,000 square meters, with aging buildings accounting for at least 50% of the area overall and at least 50% in each proposed project site.

Areas that are designated as redevelopment or planned redevelopment districts, redevelopment promotion zones or urban development zones, as well as areas that have applied for or are pursuing other project types, including Rapid Integrated Planning or redevelopment, are excluded.

Applications are also barred from areas where at least 25% of landowners or owners of buildings and other properties oppose the project, or where the influx of speculative investors or the subdivision of ownership shares in private roads has been confirmed.

To apply, each proposed project area must obtain consent from at least 60% of landowners or owners of buildings and other properties, representing at least half of the land area.

Candidate sites will be selected following deliberations by a committee that includes outside experts in urban planning, architecture and transportation. For selected sites, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will cover 50% of the cost of preparing a management plan and help them immediately begin the process of commissioning the work.

Until now, Moa Town projects with public participation were selected through a separate application process held once a year. Going forward, applicants will be able to indicate whether they want public participation when applying to have a site considered for Moa Integrated Planning.

Measures to prevent speculation in Moa Town project areas will also be strengthened. The base date for determining eligibility to receive housing units will be brought forward from the date an application is received by the Seoul Metropolitan Government or a district office to the date the project-area boundaries are disclosed.

Eligibility criteria for receiving housing units will also become stricter. Previously, applicants qualified if they had filed a notice to commence construction by the base date for determining rights. Going forward, they will qualify only if they secure separate ownership rights by the day after that date.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will hold information sessions for residents in different districts throughout October to answer questions about applications for Moa Integrated Planning candidate sites.

Myeong Nojun, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Housing Office, said, “We will support residents of aging, low-rise residential areas every step of the way, from candidate-site selection to construction commencement, so they can move into new homes even one day sooner.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.