Spatial Planning

Paul Hogan

It is untrue to say that our local authorities have a system of self-certification of buildings in Ireland. The reality is there is no mandatory requirement for the issuing of certificates of compliance with Building Regulations.  In most cases the opinions of compliance with Building Regulations are only issued on request of lending institutions in the conveyance of a property.  The Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland and the Law Society have an agreed standard format for the issuing of ‘Architects Opinion on Compliance of an Apartment Dwelling with Building Regulations’ where ‘Periodic Inspection of the Work under construction did not form part of the Service’.  This permits a situation where a developer once granted planning permission need not employ anyone to provide supervision or periodic inspections until the dwelling unit is ready for conveyancing and at this stage a professional can be employed to provide a visual inspection at completion. Unfortunately, this option is adopted only too often by the developer as a means of compliance with the Building Regulations. While the professional very often seeks confirmations from the developer that the building is constructed in accordance with the Building Regulations the reality is that some developers during the Celtic Tiger would not have sufficient knowledge of the Building Regulations to provide such confirmations but do so regardless.

It is this situation that leads to situations like Priory Hall. This is not the fault of Dublin City Council but rather a fault of the legislation which permits the construction of developments without a mandatory requirement for periodic inspection by professionals and the issuing of Certificates of Compliance on completion.

In Britain it is standard practice that the Building Control Authority issue a Completion or Final Certificate upon the practical completion of each building project, to state the work meets technical requirements of Building Regulations.

In the States a Certificate of Occupancy officially verifies a building is in full compliance with current building codes, and is safe for occupancy.

Since the introduction of Building Regulations under the Building Control Act of 1990 there is a statutory obligation to comply with the Building Regulations in relation to the construction of a habitable building or the material alteration of an existing building. The Building Regulations set out performance standards for developments which include structure, fire safety, energy conservation, ventilation and access for people with disabilities. Under the Building Control Act there is a requirement for proposed developments to be in receipt of a Fire Safety Certificate for apartments or commercial developments prior to commencement on site. There is also a legal requirement for a Commencement Notice to be issued for proposed developments between 14 and 28 days prior to commencement on site. After this is completed the Building Control Regulations are silent with regard to ensuring compliance with regulations. In reality the local authority with limited resources monitored developments by way of spot checks by Building Control Officers. In general the local authorities in the larger urban areas fared better as they had inspectors in place since the introduction of Bye-law approval as early as the Public Health (Ireland) Act 1878. The other local authorities outside the urban areas had neither sufficient staff numbers nor expertise to deal with the pace of development in the Celtic Tiger era. So while the Building Control Authorities had a right to enter buildings to check for compliance the reality was that most sites were not entered at construction stage.

A change of legislation is required to ensure that every development which takes place is legally required to undergo periodic inspection at the pertinent stages of the development to ensure compliance with the Building Regulations prior to occupation. If this is to be carried out by way of certification by a professional employed by the developer, then legislation should also ensure that the professional carries professional indemnity insurance commensurate with the work which is being carried out. Alternatively, periodic inspection could be carried out by the local authority, following notification, at the various states of development and at a cost to the developer to ensure compliance.

So what do we have in Ireland? We have a Building Control Act since 1990 which provided for the enactment of the Building Regulations on the 1^st June 1992 at a national level. The Building Regulations 1997 superseded these on 1^st July 1998 and provide for compliance with codes which are divided under 12 parts: A – Structure; B – Fire Safety; C – Site Preparation and Resistance to Moisture; D – Materials; E –  Sound; F – Ventilation; G – Hygiene; H – Drainage; J – Heat; K – Stairs; Ramps and Ladders; L – Fuel; M –  Disability. Specific amendments have been made to these codes between 1997 and today. Our Technical Guidance Documents provide detailed requirements for compliance with the Building Regulations. Compliance with the Technical Guidance Documents is prima facie evidence that the Building Regulations have been complied with. The Building Control Authority has the power to serve an enforcement notice on the owner or person carrying out the works if they are of the opinion they do not comply with Building Regulations. The Building Control Authority also has the power to enter the works and carry out any action required by the notice and recover the costs.

The introduction of mandatory periodic inspection and Certificates of Completion would help prevent the re-occurrence of situations like Priory Hall. Surely in these cases the prevention is better than the cure where the cure involved the displacement of 240 residents from their homes this Christmas.

Paul Hogan Dip. Arch., B.Arch. Sc., M.R.I.A.I. Dip Physical Planning, M.Sc. Spatial Planning

087 2839565

The Spatial Planning Graduate Network held its 3rd Planners Forum, a panel discussion on the topic ‘Future Dublin – A vision for a Healthy and Mobile City’ at the Mansion House, Dawson’s Street on the afternoon of Friday, 2^ndMarch 2012.

(l to r) Arlene Finn, Owen Shinkwin, Brendan Finn, Lord Mayor Andrew Montague, David O'Connor, John O'Hara, Ciaran Cuffe

The guest speakers were Cllr Andrew Montague (Lord Mayor of Dublin), Brendan Finn (Independent Transport Consultant), John O’Hara (Deputy City Planner for Dublin City Council), Owen Shinkwin (Senior Planner in the National Transport’s Integrated Planning Section) and Arlene Finn (Programme/Coordinator Smarter Travel Workplaces Programme). An informal debate with the Spatial Planning Graduate Network and guests took place following the formal presentation from each of the guest speakers.

The SPGN Future Dublin Forum at the Mansion House Oak Room

David O’Connor, Chairperson of the SPGN, and lecturer in Transport Planning and Urban Design in Dublin Institute of Technology welcomed the guest speakers and the Graduate Network and gave a brief outline of improvements in Dublin’s mobility options over the past few years and his aspirations for Dublin to become a city that is healthier to live in and easier to get around, for everyone.  The city-region is truly at a vital turning point and has important investment decisions to make about transport and mobility.  The right decisions will lead to a healthier and more mobile city for all.  These may not even be the most expensive solutions, nor take longest to deliver.  The Forum panellists were invited because they each represented or wanted to talk about a transport idea that will inevitably be important for the future. Former Minister of State for Sustainable Transport and Planning, Ciaran Cuffe who is a lecturer in Urban Design at Dublin Institute of Technology, acted as moderator for the event.

Watch the introduction by David O’Connor and Ciaran Cuffe (video)

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Andrew Montague opened the discussion by first welcoming the audience to his home in the Mansion House. He spoke of the mobility achievements in the city over the past few years, which included Dublin Bikes Scheme, the appointment of Dublin City Council’s first Cycling Officer, the introduction of 30km city centre speed limit, the taxsaver cycle scheme for employees and the 70% reduction in road traffic fatalities since 2009. The Dublin Bikes scheme, despite initial resistance, has been successful far beyond forecasted levels. Since the scheme was launch in 2009, there have been over 4 million bike trips taken on the 550 bikes in operation to date. Due the scheme’s incredible success, plans are now in place to extend it over the next 5 years to over 5,000 bikes. Cycling is now the fastest growing form of transport in Dublin. Since 2004, cycling has steadily increased year on year with participation doubling in the last 7 years. The number of cyclists in Dublin now exceeds the number of Luas users on a daily basis. Unlike Amsterdam, where cycling is segregated from motorised traffic, Dublin still has much work to do to make cycling safer and more attractive to all. The Mayor emphasised that a lack of funding shouldn’t be a barrier to successful mobility schemes and we should be inspired by the success of the Dublin Bikes scheme. He closed with some food for thought: people who cycle have 10 extra healthy years of life.

Watch the keynote address by Lord Mayor Andrew Montague (video)

Brendan Finn is an independent transport consultant and leading expert in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). In his presentation he argued that high quality buses are a viable alternative to rail and tram as a means of moving large numbers of people throughout a city. His studies of other cities throughout the world show that BRT is an efficient and reliable urban transport solution. BRT is also more flexible than rail and tram in terms of opportunity for a greater number of routes, stops and speeds. He stated that too often buses are dismissed before they even reach feasibility study stage. This is a mistake based on incorrect assumptions about buses. One of these assumptions is that car-users will not convert to bus use. He demonstrated with examples of BRT’s in other cities such as Istanbul and Mexico City that car users will become bus users when buses are of high quality and provide speed, reliability and comfort. Dublin urgently needs an urban orbital transit route and he urged planners to consider BRT, which is a low cost, flexible option that could be rolled out quickly and incrementally.

Watch Brendan Finn talk about Bus Rapid Transit and its potential for Dublin(video)

View Brendan Finn’s presentation (PDF): Future Dublin Brendan Finn

John O’Hara, Deputy City Planner for Dublin City Council (DCC), introduced us to Dublin’s Future Green Network. This is DCC’s contribution to making Dublin a safer and healthier place to live in The plan is to introduce green corridors throughout the city over a 20 years period. These green corridors will make the city more attractive for people to cycle and walk on a daily basis. The first stage of the Network has already commenced with the completion of a green corridor along the Grand Canal from Grand Canal Square to Portobello, which has an off-road cycle track and a pedestrian walkway, segregated from motorised traffic. Mr O’Hara showed the startling link between obesity and travel modes. In countries such as the USA where obesity is prevalent, cycling and walking are the least favoured modes of transport unlike Switzerland where the opposite is the case. Ireland was second only to the USA in terms of obesity and the need to promote healthier travel options, particularly for those who commute less than 5km a day, was emphasised. He also stressed the need for inter agency cooperation.

Watch John O’Hara talk about the City Development Plan and the Green Infrastructure Network (video)

View John O’Hara’s presentation (PDF) *: Future Dublin John O’Hara

Owen Shinkwin, Senior Planner in the National Transport Authority’s Integrated Planning Section explained the NTA’s role in providing transport integration in the Greater Dublin Area and outlined the Draft Transport Strategy, 2030 Vision. The NTA was established in 2009 and has responsibly for public transport services, capital investment and traffic management policy in the Greater Dublin Area as well as nationally. Mr. Shinkwin gave a comprehensive overview of 2030 Vision, which is a 20-year plan for the Greater Dublin Area. It aims to provide joined up transport and land-use planning, better and easier-to-use public transport and enhanced walking and cycling environments.

Watch Owen Shinkwin talk about the new role of the NTA in integrating land use and transport planning (video)

View Owen Shinkwin’s presentation (PDF): Future Dublin Owen Shinkwin

The final guest was Arlene Finn, Programme Developer and Coordinator of the Smarter Travel Workplaces Programme who has responsibility for implementing Workplace Travel Plans (WTP) for large employers (250+ staff) in Ireland.  She said that businesses would not participate in the programme if it did not make good business sense, whether it be for parking management issues, planning permission requirements, cost savings, or environmental management. WTP are a package of measures to encourage people to walk, cycle, use public transport, car share or reduce trips through ‘Smarter Working’. When implemented by a company, results have shown WTPs can reduce car use by 10% – 24%.  By simply making staff aware of alternative travel options such as bus routes, car pooling, walking times and the health benefits, they will change their travel behaviour.

Watch Arlene Finn talking about the Smarter Travel Workplaces Programme (video)

View Arlene Finn’s presentation (PDF): Future Dublin Arlene Finn

The panel (l to r): Ciaran Cuffe, Owen Shinkwin, Arlene Finn, John O’Hara (missing from picture: Brendan Finn)

Following presentations from the guest speakers, the floor was opened up for questions and a lively informal debate took place.  Topics raised included the need for more cycling officers, bike safety training, the need to address public transport deficiencies in poorer areas such as Blanchardstown and how Local Transport Plans would be integrated into Local Area Plans.

View more photographs from the event here

The Spatial Planning Graduate Network owe their sincere thanks to the following individuals and organisations: Norton UDP for sponsorship of the event.  Documentary Director Paddy Cahill (www.paddycahill.com) videoed the event.  BSc graduates Colin Broderick (www.dt106ers.com) and Grace Howell assisted with photography and note-taking respectively.

* National Cycle Network Map courtesy of Fáilte Ireland

Dublin is ranked as the 26th best city in the world for quality of life according to one survey. However, the top ten ranked cities are all mid-sized cities like Dublin. To make it into the top of the list, Dublin has to become a city that is healthy to live in and easy to get around … for everyone. That means developing a transport network that is affordable, easy to use and helps people go wherever they need to go. It also means neighbourhoods that are safe and attractive for cyclists, pedestrians and local communities. Recent capital expenditure cut-backs are forcing a rethink of our approach to transport and infrastructural solutions. But lessons from other places suggest that the best cities are not necessarily ones that spend the most money, but make the smartest choices. Future Dublin is about imagining what kind of transport network that might be and what those streets and spaces might look and feel like. It is a vision for a healthy and mobile city.

On the afternoon of Friday, 2nd March 2012 at The Mansion House, Dublin, the Spatial Planning Graduate Network will hold its third Planners Forum, a panel discussion on the subject of ‘Future Dublin: A Vision for a Healthy and Mobile City’. Confirmed speakers include Lord Mayor of Dublin, Andrew Montague, Brendan Finn (ETTS) and John O’Hara (Dublin City Council Deputy City Planner). The programme for the event is available for download here. Places are limited and will be awarded on a strictly first-come, first-served basis. Please RSVP with your name and the names of the guests you wish to bring to events@spatialplanning.ie by Tuesday, 28th February 2012.

By David O’Connor

The New Year is well in and maybe its a good time to gather thoughts and reflect on the state of retail, a sector that seems to pass through its own pain barrier around this time of year.  This time, even more than last year, has been a portentous one with prophets of doom predicting tectonic changes in the sector.  Whether or not this will be the case, there is a lot happening in terms of the planning of the industry as well as its underlying market dynamics.

The sense that retail is in crisis is hard to avoid, given levels of vacancy, issues with rents, rates and other costs, growth in e-shopping (and now “m-shopping”, on your smartphone, that is) and the shortage of discretionary income among consumers.  Much of the media discussion has surrounded prospects for retailers.  In the UK and beyond, debate has revolved around the viability of not just shops but whole town centres.

This piece represents something of a briefing pack on recent and current reports to do with retail.  It is not intended to be an exhaustive or fully comprehensive outline of currents in retail planning sector.

What follows are a number of reports, articles, submissions and opinion pieces on retail both in Ireland, the UK and globally.  Particularly of note are the publication of draft Retail Planning Guidelines and also the Portas Report in the UK.

Draft Retail Planning Guidelines

The Draft Retail Planning Guidelines were closed for public consultation on 20^th December 2011.  Perhaps the most notable aspect of the draft guidelines was the straighforwardness of the Minister in declaring that this was a review foisted on us by the IMF / ECB / EU Troika.  The Department replied with an incremental approach to modifying the retail cap (3,500sqm. raised to 4,000sqm. in the Greater Dublin Area; removal of the distinction between discount retail foodstores and conventional retail foodstores, etc.).  This moderate approach has, apparently been accepted by the Troika.  In addition, the guidelines increase emphasis on the sequential approach and encouraging town centre retail development.

http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/PlanningDevelopment/Planning/News/MainBody,28537,en.htm

The Forfas Report

A precursor to the review is the Forfas “Review of the Economic Impact of the Retail Cap”, published in April 2011.  One of the conditions of the EU-IMF Programme for Financial Support for Ireland was that “the government will conduct a study on the economic impact of eliminating the cap on the size of retail premises with a view to enhancing competition and lowering prices for consumers and discuss implementation of its policy implications with the Commission services”.

The report emphasises the important societal effects of retail policy and the need for careful regulation of a complex market.

Among other things, the study revealed the dominance in our grocery retail sector of three brands – Tesco, Dunnes and Supervalue – who control more than 70% of sales between them.  Or is it even more than this?

http://www.forfas.ie/publications/2011/title,8585,en.php

Submissions to the Draft Retail Planning Guidelines

The IPI made a submission to the draft guidelines, singling out some important details regarding definitions and seeking increased emphasis on enforcement of the sequential approach.

The IPI also call for a Good Practice Guide, suggesting that implementation of existing guidelines has been poor, mainly due to “lack of understanding of practitioners”.  All of which seems eminently sensible.

http://www.irishplanninginstitute.ie/ipi/news-article/ipi-submission-on-the-draft-retail-planning-guidelines/

An Taisce made a submission which related the draft guidelines to the Smarter Travel Policy document.  In particular they urge that fair car parking pricing strategies be applied to out-of-town centres.  The submission, drafted by a DIT Spatial Planning graduate, is excellently referenced and draws on international studies on retail policy impacts.  Some of its conclusions are listed below: -

•  The Government’s own research shows that large out-of-town retailers are growing and smaller shops in town centre locations are dying. Fact: the independent retail sector shrunk 50% between 2001 and 2006 while retailers that control their own brands, delivery systems and product research have grown by 62% over the same five year period.

•  Locally based shops return twice as much money to the local economy as out-of-town retailers. Fact: locally-based shops return one-third of their revenues to the local economy but large out-of-town retailers only return 16% of revenue back into the local economy.

• Research from the UK warns: “the ability to build stores outside towns has been made possible by a combination of confused and poorly applied planning rules, the power of developers, and weakness of local councils. Unless we see urgent action our high streets will be lost to a final wave of out-of-town retail construction that threatens to remove retail from the heart of our communities”.

•  When residents redirect their spending from out-of-town retailers to locally owned businesses additional jobs are created and economic activity in the area increases. Fact: A Michigan study shows 1,600 additional jobs and $140 million uplift in economic activity occurs.

•  Locally owned businesses employ more staff and pay better. Employees in ‘superstores’ earn 20% less according to Wal-Mart data. Indeed, “opening a single Wal-Mart store lowers the average retail wage in the surrounding county by between 0.5 and 0.9 percent”.

•  1.4 jobs are lost for every 1 new job created in a ‘megastore’. Because of their failure to engage with local suppliers and re-circulate money back into local economies, each new out-of-town ‘megastore’ results in a net jobs loss of 270 full-time positions.

http://www.antaisce.ie/News/AnTaisceRelatedNewsReleases/tabid/1024/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/220/Proposed-changes-to-retail-guidelines-will-cost-jobs-and-cause-more-dereliction.aspx (submission document available on request from an Taisce)

Commentaries on the Retail Planning Sector in Ireland

“Retail’s Ticking Clock”, Sunday Times, 1^st January, 2012

Good commentary on changes in the Irish retail sector, focussing on prospects for the oldest of them all – Clery’s Department Store, suggests a curates egg of an industry.  Strong brands such as Avoca, Brown Thomas and the Dundrum Town Centre are performing well with many recently built centres dying on their feet and bringing existing town centres with them.  Some strong words for the state of planning in the sector.

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/public/sitesearch.do?querystring=retail%27s+ticking+clock&sectionId=2&p=sto&bl=on&pf=all

“High Noon on High Street”, Irish Times, Friday January 13, 2012

Laura Slattery in Business Agenda asks if the recent la Senza closure and confrontation is a sign of things to come.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2012/0113/1224310187579.html

 IPI Planning Issues Editorial

The Editorial of this month’s Planning Issues, the e-bulletin of the IPI, singles out the topic of retail for its importance.  Right now, more than ever, there is a coincidence of need and opportunity for reform and it must be through good retail planning.

http://www.irishplanninginstitute.ie/ipi/news-article/planning-matters-winter-2011-issue/

Uptown Downtown series

In April 2011, Carl O’Brien released a three-part series called Uptown Downtown.  In it he profiled three towns, Youghal, Drogheda and Longford, which, for different reasons seemed to be in a spiral of decline. The series provoked the question, is there anything that can be done to save the Irish market town – iconic and archetypal to so many of us – from disaster.   Worth it alone for the comments added by readers.

Youghal: How do you fix a broken town?

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2011/0402/1224293621909.html

Drogheda: On paper, the town has it all

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2011/0406/1224293997158.html

Longford: After the factory shuts its doors

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2011/0405/1224293859510.html

The View from O’Connell Street

Another three part series, just published, on the O’Connell Streets of Ireland, by Rosita Boland

Dungarvan: “not thriving, but surviving”

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2012/0128/1224310855606.html

Ennis: “has nightlife died in Irish towns”?

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2012/0130/1224310938577.html

Sligo: “It used to be wonderful, now it’s a jungle”

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2012/0131/1224310997911.html

The UK

A wider debate is going on in the UK, with loud claims that the large retailers are strangling the life out of the British town and, indeed, way of life.

The Portas Report

Much of this is prompted by the publication by the UK Government of the Portas Report.  Town centres in the UK have lost 27 million sq ft or 9% in just nine years. In contrast, out of town retail space has risen by 50 million sq ft, or one-third, over the same period.  Shops are closing down at a rate of 5,000 a year and as many as one in six premises lie empty.  Portas argues that much can be done if one accepts a few golden rules. One, that not everywhere can be saved, and, secondly, the future cannot just be about shopping.

http://www.bis.gov.uk/highstreet

The New Economic’s Foundation welcomes the Portas Review.  They also call for increased controls on oligopolistic practices, better urban design in town centres and better financial systems, including micro-finance.

http://www.neweconomics.org/press-releases/portas-review-the-chance-to-breathe-life-into-britain’s-high-streets

These sentiments are well expressed in a number of recent articles which lament the loss of the social role played by the local shop.

Supermarkets kill free markets as well as our communities, Peter Wilby in the Guardian, 3^rd May 2011

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/may/03/supermarkets-kill-free-markets-communities?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

Window pains, By Edwin Heathcote in the Financial Times, 2^nd November 2011

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/32edd384-1044-11e1-8211-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1iUcqLDt9

Saving the British high street from decades of decline, Mark Hennessy’s London Letter to the Irish Times, 14^th December 2011

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2011/1214/1224309044997.html

Commentaries on the Retail Planning Sector globally

Perhaps most surprisingly, while all this is going on, a revival of town centres is taking place in the US.  Some of this is being driven by market dynamics, some of it by better planning practices (the New Urbanist movement is a strong force in American cities).

The Death of the Fringe Suburb, by Christopher B. Leinberger in the New York Times, 25^th Novbember 2011

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/26/opinion/the-death-of-the-fringe-suburb.html?_r=1

Keep it Local Eugene, a forum for discussing the benefits of local businesses and thr impact of chain and big box stores.

http://keepitlocal.blogspot.com/2005/08/studies-find-local-biz-creates-far.html

Birth, Death and Shopping – the rise and fall of the shopping mall, in the Economist Christmas Special Edition, 2007.  A favourite of mine, this article suggests that in the capital of consumerism –America – the shopping mall is dead and walkable, open and sustainable “smart growth” town centres are the way to go.

Do we need any more proof?

http://www.economist.com/node/10278717

David O’Connor is a practitioner in Transport and Urban Design and is current Chairperson of the Spatial Planning Graduate Network. davidoconnor@ireland.com

The Report of the second annual Spatial Planning Graduate Network Forum on ‘Perspectives on NAMA and the Planning System’ is available for download here.

David O’Connor

The Irish Times – Thursday, November 17, 2011

THE PRIORITIES set out in the Government’s Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012 – 2016: Medium-Term Exchequer Framework report of supporting enterprise, health and education are absolutely laudable. In a time when exchequer revenues are outstripped by expenditure, needs must.

But when one examines the transport stratagem against the three objectives it becomes clear the proposed investment does not deliver, nor on one other key criterion: maximising value for money. Most especially it will not promote public health, something that is increasingly linked to our level of active travel, to the best possible degree.

The irony is that we have adopted two transport strategies that have won wide acclaim. These are the Smarter Travel and National Cycle Policy Framework reports, that, if implemented, would substantially improve the health of society and economy. They would even improve our educational environment since children who are more active perform better in tests.

The Government, however, has reduced spending to €65 million to provide for all Smarter Travel and cycling investment over a five-year period. This level of investment is, in impact terms, negligible. And yet it is in this area we could get the greatest return on investment.

More cycling and walking means less car usage, less oil dependency, less carbon emissions and less congestion. There are huge knock-on effects in terms of public health.

The day before the launch, a group of Ministers plugged the Growing up in Ireland report in which a looming obesity epidemic is revealed. Some 26 per cent of nine year olds are found to be overweight or obese and Ireland scores near lowest among its European neighbours.

Recent cycling investments – Dublinbike, the Newport Mulranny Greenway, the taxsaver cycle scheme, new urban cycle paths among them – are delivering mode transfer way beyond forecasted levels, and at relatively little cost. The An Taisce Green Schools programme has delivered mode shifts of more than 20 per cent away from car reliance. It is a world-class scheme and we need more of it. Cost-benefit studies suggest that a euro invested in such programmes will be several euro saved in future healthcare costs.

The people of Swords are no doubt aggrieved by the dumping of Metro North. We can all be irritated by the best part of €200 million invested in abandoned mega-schemes. The committed upgrade of three quality bus corridors (QBCs) is a fig leaf to these communities. They might rightly see it as such unless the Government and the National Transport Authority commit to delivering not a series of corridor improvements but a high-quality bus network.

The idea of a network is critical here. We are not alone in facing capital expenditure cuts. Cities worldwide are reverting to bus in preference to high-cost rail schemes. The ones that develop integrated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) networks – Bogota, Curitiba, Nantes and Zurich – are not looking back.

Already, on Dublin’s North Quays QBC, inbound capacities of 10,000 passengers an hour have been recorded; equal, in fact, to the forecasted year-open capacity of the ill-fated Metro North. This is without integrated ticketing, high-capacity service design and high-level priority, all part of successful BRT network design.

Yet there is no reference to building integrated BRT networks in the programme. Or to the Blue Line, a well-conceived BRT link from Sandymount to Sandyford proposed by Dún Laoghaire- Rathdown council. In fact there is a BRT revolution going on in many of the world’s highest-ranked cities. Ireland’s low-density, suburbanised cities can be ideal for such networks. Belfast is in the process of developing its own version.

We need an integrated, people-centred approach to planning. We need connected, healthy neighbourhoods where we can live creatively, actively and socially. More promotion of walking, cycling and high-quality bus networks can deliver this. The Government has a great opportunity to save money, boost our economic recovery and help to build the healthy neighbourhoods we deserve.

David O’Connor is a lecturer and practitioner in Transport Planning and Urban Design and is Chairperson of the Spatial Planning Graduate Network.

Lorcan Sirr and Conor Skehan

The Irish Times – Wednesday, November 9, 2011

A new style of dynamic manager is needed to live in the city and ensure it is properly run.

WE NEED to stop ignoring Dublin. And let’s be clear: what is good for Dublin is very good for Ireland. In no way is that an anti-rural statement. Far from it.

Dublin and its associated region, especially the industrial ring just outside the M50, is the engine which keeps Ireland moving. Monies generated here enter national coffers to run regional hospitals, develop rural tourism, fund local authorities to maintain their areas, protect our water, wildlife, beautiful landscapes and much, much more.

Read more…

“From Making a City to Being a City”

Recently a group of Dutch and Flemish planners visited Dublin on a three-day mission to find out how the city is coping with the crisis.  The visitors comprised of many disciplines including planning, urban design, transport, anthropology and city marketing.  The visit involved meeting communities as diverse as Smithfield, Darndale, Newmarket and Northern Area Fringe.  The visitors met with project champions for Lifeline, the Complex theatre, the Dublin Food Coop, the “Learning for Life” project and the Fumbally Exchange “New Creative Quarter” initiative, among many others.   The DIT School of Spatial Planning also hosted a forum where discussions were had with Dick Gleeson, Chief City Planner of Dublin City Council and Mark Dyer, Research Driector of Trinityhaus along with other speakers from Ireland and the Netherlands.

The visit was a chance to get a flavour of how the crisis is affecting the city physically as well as socially.  And it was an opportunity to meet with some of the local community champions that might, some day, be seen as the people who lead the city to a better place.

After the trip Stipo, the Dutch urban planning consultancy who organised the visit, surveyed all of the people who came on the trip and asked them what they learned from the experience.  What emerged was a document (downloadable from the Stipo website) which reflects on the impact of the sudden downturn on a city, but also how planners might react in order to create an opportunity from the crisis.

It is refreshing, perhaps, to gain a fresh and objective perspective on events as they happen.  It is also a tribute to the community leaders, politicians and officials who took the time to meet with the visitors that such positive and useful insights could be gained from a three day visit.

http://www.stipo.info/Artikel/Dublin_between_crisis_and_new_energy

For more information about the visit, contact David O’Connor at david.oconnor@dit.ie or  Jeroen Laven at jeroen.laven@stipo.nl.

The Spatial Planning Graduate Network held its second annual Planner’s Forum on the topic of ‘Perspectives on NAMA and the Planning System’ at the Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street on the evening of Wednesday, 15th June 2011. Four panelists, Joan Burton TD (Minister for Social Protection), Michael Wall BL, (Barrister-at-Law), Conor Norton (Government Advisory Group on Unfinished Residential Development) and Conor Skehan (Lecturer, DIT School of Spatial Planning) were invited to speak and to take part in an informal discussion and debate with the Spatial Planning Graduate Network and invited guests.

David O’Connor, Chairperson of the SPGN, opened the Forum by speaking about the key issue in any debate about planning and the National Asset Management Agency: can it be possible for NAMA to achieve the highest economic return on lands within their control while, at the same time, ensuring the long-term sustainable development of Ireland?  NAMA and concerns surrounding its operation seem to be generally accepted as economic concerns, but ignoring the spatial element could be short-sighted.  There are many examples of asset disposal and spatial planning working together (e.g., Shrinking Cities projects in East Germany) and, where spatial planning is a consideration, those cities are recovering fastest.

Joan Burton, TD, was unfortunately unable attend the Forum due to her Dáil commitments so Michael Wall was the first of the panellists to speak. Michael Wall BL is a former member of the board of An Bord Pleanála, who was appointed by the Minister for Finance as a member of the NAMA Planning Advisory Committee in April 2010.  Speaking in a personal capacity, Michael noted that, contrary to first impressions that planning plays a minor part in the NAMA legislation, when scrutinised, spatial planning would seem to play a larger part than first imagined.  In particular, Michael made reference to what might be considered extensive planning powers set out in five key provisions (sections 2, 10, 11, 12 and 33) of the 2009 Act.

Conor Norton, Director of Loci and Appointee to the Government Advisory Group on Unfinished Residential Development, stated his opinion that the NAMA legislation is designed to address a financial threat to the State and to the banking sector.  As such, the 2009 Act has little or nothing to do with spatial planning and is an inappropriate mechanism for confronting long term goals associated with the social and economic development of Ireland.  In order to realise important national, regional and local level strategic goals, it may, therefore, be necessary to transfer the wider goals of NAMA to a Strategic Development Corporation.

Conor Skehan, Director of CAAS Environmental Services Ltd and Lecturer at the DIT School of Spatial Planning, spoke in highly critical terms on the subject of NAMA, describing the legislation as destructive of our assets and our entrepreneurship.  Rather than planning for prosperity and then seeking to provide the property to accommodate it, NAMA seeks to somehow achieve economic return from land and leaves the formulation of a strategy for prosperity until later.  The circumstances that led to the establishment of NAMA are a symptom and not the cause – the cause is poor planning that is rooted in an obsession with housing and settlement.

Following the conclusions and presentations from the panellists, the floor was opened up to debate.  Topics raised included the potential for temporary use of NAMA lands as community gardens; the particularly difficulties associated with the conservation of NAMA-owned heritage buildings; the benefits of dealing with NAMA over abandoned unfinished developments with untraceable owners; remaining excesses of zoned land; and the need for an expert regional-level planning body.

The event was followed by a reception, which was generously sponsored by CAAS Environmental Services Limited.

Amy Hastings BCL, BL, MSc (Spatial Planning), MIPI works as a planning consultant in private practice, is a partner in ARC Consultants and Secretary of the Spatial Planning Graduate Network.