Kaohsiung updates urban planning: height limits eased in farm zones, pet funerals banned in commercial areas

Kaohsiung has officially launched revised urban planning regulations, focusing on four key areas: safeguarding agricultural zone development rights, preserving peace in residential and commercial districts, enhancing urban design reviews, and refining volumetric control. The new rules relax building height limits in agricultural areas and ban pet funeral businesses from residential and commercial zones. To address issues faced by agricultural zones since the merger of counties, the revisions prioritize protecting citizens' rights during reconstruction. For agricultural land and existing legal structures, the building height limit has been increased from three stories or 10.5 meters to four stories or 14 meters, offering greater flexibility for architectural design. Recognizing the unique nature of pet memorial facilities and their potential impact, the city has explicitly prohibited "pet life memorial facilities" and "pet life memorial businesses" in residential and commercial zones. This measure aims to maintain the tranquility, safety, and hygiene of these areas. Furthermore, the regulations now mandate urban design reviews for building sites applying for volumetric transfers exceeding a legal threshold and for areas around MRT and light rail stations. To improve information dissemination, "news e-newspapers" have been added as a public notification channel alongside traditional announcements and newspaper listings. The revisions also introduce exclusions from volumetric control limits for transfers related to cultural heritage preservation and water resource management, and set specific building coverage and floor area ratios for plaza zones to accommodate public facilities like shelters and art installations.