Due to the high cost of property in Taipei, there are particular transferable development rights issues that are limited to the capital, so the Taipei City Government is to urge the Executive Yuan to establish an ad hoc committee to discuss and resolve the problems, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday.
The city government yesterday afternoon held its sixth Living Justice Forum at the Regent Taipei hotel, and urban environments and transferable development rights were high on the agenda.
In his opening speech, Ko said the living justice forums were held so that Taipei residents’ problems can be discussed, adding that he believes the first step to solving problems is to first identify and face them.
The two main problems that need to be discussed are the transferable development rights of river areas and historic sites, he said, adding that the lack of clear regulations can cause problems in urban planning and management.
“It is strange that the land prices of adjoining areas are used when calculating the land prices of river areas,” Ko said. “It is strange and unbelievable how the price of the land in adjoining areas is the same as the price of river banks.”
He said the city government is trying to protect as many historic sites in the capital as possible, but that idealistic views cannot solve realistic problems, as evidenced by the more than 400 cultural heritage sites that have been designated in the city, which overburden those in the city government trying to protect them.
In addition, Ko said many transferable development rights issues are limited to Taipei because of the high cost of property in the city and using the same regulations to handle the issues as those used in other areas might not be suitable.
“I find it hard to believe that the same construction regulations used in Matsu are used for handling similar problems in Taipei,” he said, adding that he did not expect to find suitable solutions at the forum, but hoped to hear experts’ ideas on the issue.
Ko has asked Deputy Mayor Chen Chin-jun (陳景峻) to raise the problems at the next Cabinet meeting on Thursday, and to urge the Cabinet to establish an ad hoc committee to discuss and provide solutions to the problems, he said.
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