Apartment complexes and buildings with steel bars over the windows, loose cables or advertisements on exterior walls could face fines of up to NT$100,000 starting next year after the Taipei City Government yesterday promulgated new regulations on the appearance of buildings in an attempt to improve the city’s landscape.
The city government proposed a municipal regulation on the management of the city’s landscape, demanding apartment complexes or building owners apply to the city government and follow the regulations before putting up window frames, air conditioners or ads on exterior walls of buildings.
Existing steel bar window frames or other facilities on exterior walls should be taken down or modified to conform with the regulations.
Residents who violate the regulations will face fines ranging from NT$6,000 to NT$100,000.
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) yesterday said he expected the new regulations to reshape the cityscape and turn Taipei into a beautiful city.
“Taipei City is moving ahead of the central government to establish a regulation on city landscape,” Hau said at Taipei City Hall yesterday.
“We are confident that Taipei will be more beautiful in the future,” he said.
Ting Yu-chun (丁育群), commissioner of the city’s Department of Urban Development, said the department would prioritize improving the appearance of buildings on major roads that are more than 30m wide, such as Zhongxiao E Road.
Areas near parks and major tourist attractions, such as the Confucius Temple or the National Palace Museum, would also fall under the program.
As for old apartments and buildings in small alleys, Ting said the city government would encourage apartment management offices to send in appearance renewal plans and the city government would provide subsidies for necessary appearance-renewal work.
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