New Taipei mayoral candidate: Urban renewal speed, not bureaucracy, is key

New Taipei City mayoral candidate Lee Chuan-chi unveiled his "Urban Renewal Five-Point Power" policy on August 19, directly addressing the pace of urban redevelopment in the region. Responding to opponent Su Chiao-hui's proposal to establish a dedicated urban renewal bureau, Lee asserted that the issue lies not with the administrative level but with the speed of coordination and review processes.

Lee explained that New Taipei's current urban renewal division operates under the Department of Urban and Rural Development. While there was a past desire to elevate it to a bureau, he noted that recent changes by the Examination Yuan have aligned the job ranks of departmental section chiefs with those of first-level city officials, resolving previous concerns about hierarchical disparities.

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Urban renewal is not a matter of hierarchy, it is a matter of speed.

He cautioned against creating a separate bureau, which could introduce additional bureaucratic interfaces and necessitate further high-level coordination, especially since urban renewal projects must align with urban planning. Instead, Lee advocates for a mayor-led "Urban Renewal Promotion Committee." This committee would streamline cross-departmental issues, including those involving public works and transportation, by resolving legal or procedural obstacles.

Drawing on his experience in Kaohsiung and Taipei, Lee identified "coordination" and "review" as the primary obstacles to urban renewal. His proposed committee would regularly examine ongoing review processes to pinpoint specific bottlenecks and expedite solutions. Regarding the review of base plot ratios, Lee acknowledged that changes might require central government approval, especially for projects submitted to the Ministry of the Interior. He pledged to personally attend Ministry of the Interior urban planning committee meetings to advocate for necessary regulatory adjustments to accelerate urban renewal.

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The biggest problem in urban renewal, whether in Kaohsiung, Taipei, or New Taipei, is coordination and review.