Mayor Chang San-Cheng announced at a city council meeting on July 31 that the Taoyuan City Government will establish an Urban Renewal Office in August this year (2024). The office aims to expedite the renewal of dangerous and outdated buildings in the city. Later, the office will be transform into a Housing and Urban Development Center, gradually enhancing service capacity. The city government will not only work actively to overcome the challenges of urban renewal, but also set a benchmark for public-led urban renewal projects. A notable example is the Xinmin Parking Garage project. The Department of Urban Development is encouraged to go all out to increase public participation and revitalize Taoyuan’s urban landscape.
The city government is currently developing three major projects: the “Disaster Prevention Urban Renewal Project,” the “Public-led Urban Renewal Project Application from the Private Sector,” and the “Urban Renewal Facilitator Project.” The “Disaster Prevention Urban Renewal Project” focuses on dangerous buildings, such as those with high chloride ion content, insufficient seismic resistance, and those marked for demolition due to earthquake damage. This initiative will involve adjusting urban planning parameters and setting local regulations for high-chloride concrete structures, establishing standards, penalties, and procedures for decommissioning and demolition. The plan will be announced and implemented in August.
The “Public-led Urban Renewal Project Application from the Private Sector” allows private entities, after integrating a certain proportion of properties, to apply to the city government, which will act as the implementing agency. This process includes an initial project evaluation, allocation simulation, and investor solicitation, with the goal of building public confidence through comprehensive government support. The “Urban Renewal Facilitator Project” aims to train professionals, known as urban renewal facilitators, who will work within communities to promote urban renewal from a top-down approach, expanding the city’s capacity for renewal.
In addition, the city government will adopt Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) strategies for the renewal of old train stations in Taoyuan, Zhongli, and Neili. This approach is expected to maximize urban renewal benefits in older districts and accelerate the transformation of Taoyuan City.