Taipei urban renewal consent threshold cut from 75% to 50%; National Land Management Agency says the key is review

On October 16, 2026, Chiang Wan-an said that the first-stage self-organized consolidation consent threshold of the current "Publicly Led Urban Renewal 7599 Project" has been lowered from 75% to 50%, and that as long as more than half of residents are willing, the city government will step in to help with calculations.

Tsai Chang-chan responded to media questions on October 22, 2026, at a press conference after the Ministry of the Interior's departmental meeting. He said that lowering the threshold to 50% helps residents first understand information on the finances, legal issues, construction, agreements and rights allocation involved in urban renewal, that it is "not a bad thing," and that it has related benefits. He used a "door" as a metaphor: the original door was narrow and residents queued outside; now the door has been opened wider, which only lets residents get in faster, and once inside they still have to line up in order before they can keep moving forward.

Tsai Chang-chan said that urban renewal cases involve different specialties and take a long time to review. Some urban renewal cases have been shelved for 4 to 5 years because residents changed their minds, which is known as "zombie urban renewal." He said that the current amendment to the Urban Renewal Act will include mechanisms for simplified review, supervision and performance tracking, and will establish a mechanism for public-sector intervention.

Chiang Wan-an also said that for urban renewal cases involving large-scale blocks, the base floor area ratio will be raised from 225% to 300%. Tsai Chang-chan said this adjustment applies only to sites of 3,000 square meters or more located in specific areas such as MRT stations or waterfronts. He believes most such sites are not self-organized urban renewal cases by ordinary residents; he said the measure is "not a bad thing," but "it is localized," and it is also an incentive for transforming the urban environment.

Tsai Chang-chan said the central government does not oppose Taipei relaxing floor area ratios. He cautioned that some roads in Taipei are not wide, and that if floor area bonuses (including floor area bonuses for marriage and childbearing housing) are layered on top, increases in the area's population and traffic volume could cause regional problems, so the matter still has to be discussed by the local urban planning commission.