Department of Urban Development, Taipei City Government

    Taipei City Government held “Forum of Housing Justice VI- Urban Environment and Urban Building Capacity Transfer” with the main themes of urban building capacity transfer at river reservation zone and historic monument at Noble House, on the first floor of Regent Taipei, today (October 23). Representatives from Central Government, scholars and professions, Taipei City councilors and Taipei citizens, more than 200 interested parties were invited.
    Mayor Ko, Wen-je said, “Facing the problem is the first step to solve the problem. The purpose of the forum today is to propose the questions and collaborate ideas to solve the problems.” Mayor Ko further indicated riverbank is the natural land, which cannot be used for construction. Once the urban building capacity transfer at river reservation zone is opened to public, the problems, including the impact of local urban environment, the result of building bulk amplification in the conversion equation and the suitability to calculate riverbank value with neighborhood buildable land, lead to a national systematic problem. Central Government should consider deliberately. Taipei City Government will submit a proposal regarding to the issues discussed today in this forum to the meeting of Executive Yuan in subsequence. As for the urban building capacity transfer at historic monuments, Mayor Ko said Dadaocheng was conserved by urban building capacity transfer. Cultural heritage conservation is the value of Ko’s city government, Taipei City Government will keep on moving actively.
    Department of Urban Development, Taipei City Government expressed that Urban Building Capacity Transfer at river reservation zone should not take into force hastily. Government ought to consider deliberately and mend law. Taipei City Government will suggest Ministry of Economic Affairs, R.O.C. following the example of urban building capacity transfer to the reserve land for public facilities comprehensively and explicitly authorizing local government to monitor environment. All kinds of urban building capacity transfer should be balanced to conserve urban environment. Deputy Interior Minister, Hua Ching-chun, Ministry of the Interior, R.O.C. said he agreed the standpoint of Taipei City Government. Article 82 of Water Resource Act allows the implementation of the regulation of urban building capacity transfer, local government may monitor the environment. Furthermore, the implementation plan should be a river management plan not an urban building capacity transfer plan. Ministry of the Interior, R.O.C. will further discuss with Ministry of Economic Affairs, R.O.C. Direct General, Lin Jou-min, Department of Urban Development, Taipei City Government emphasized urban building capacity transfer at river reservation zone exists a systematic problem nationally, Taipei City Government had reached a common consensus with Ministry of the Interior, R.O.C., and will actively communicate with Ministry of Economic Affairs, R.O.C. in the future.
      In the second urban building capacity transfer at historic monument section, Direct General, Lin, Department of Urban Development illustrated the achievement of urban building capacity transfer in conserving city feature and maintaining historic monument; especially, Dadaocheng historical block is a pride of Taipei citizens. The attendee, Secretary-general of Institute for Historical Resources Management, Chiu, Ju-hua further emphasized, “There is no Dadaocheng if there is no urban building capacity transfer system.” Direct General, Lin, Department of Urban Development also reminded that in the light of past experiences, urban building capacity transfer has become an incentive to step up the historic monument conservation. Once the urban building capacity transfer system disconnects with historic monument conservation, the mechanism of Cultural Heritage Preservation Act shall bring it into full play actively, then the owners can be urged to conserve historic monuments effectively.
    Finally, Department of Urban Development appealed that central Government shall revise the urban building capacity transfer system carefully. It shall be implemented under the control of total volume of urban building bulk. In the meantime, government should consider the balance of all types of urban building capacity transfer and the control of individual sites to reflect the value of urban environment and set housing justice into practice.