A new group entitled City Regions Ireland was launched yesterday with the aim of bringing together the Chambers of Commerce of Galway, Cork, Dublin, Limerick and Waterford — Ireland’s five cities as identified by the National Planning Framework, Ireland 2040.
The grouping was formalised and met with the Minister for Housing, Planning and Urban Development Eoghan Murphy TD last evening to outline what is needed to safeguard an ambitious urban future for Ireland’s city regions.
In one voice, the five cities have devised a document detailing the following eight principles, spanning infrastructure, housing, and planning to inform policy making, maximise growth, and tackle the common issues and opportunities in our urban regions.
City Regions Ireland’s eight principles call on policymakers to;
Plan for core density and reduce urban sprawl
Increase housing supply
Support international connectivity through our ports and airports
Develop transport infrastructure to connect our cities
Invest in public transport
Create destinations of higher education
Rejuvenate our city centres
Manage water and waste
City Regions Ireland is working for the common goal of ensuring the country’s five cities are developed sustainably as the national and regional economic engines and to support a population projected in the National Planning Framework to grow by 25 per cent in Dublin and 50 per cent in the other four cities out to 2040.
President of Galway Chamber, Dave Hickey, welcomed the initiative saying that the NPF emphasises the importance of the five cities as engines of economic growth and social development but doesn’t address how this can be realised in sufficient detail.
“The eight principles are common to all the cities and we plan to work closely with all stakeholders in Galway to address the priority issues for Galway of traffic congestion and core urban development, including housing,” he said.
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Urban Planning Eoghan Murphy welcomed the new City Regions Ireland group;
“It is essential that we as a country recognise the important part that our cities play in driving our national economy, they are centres of business, culture, education and innovation for everyone, and not just for those who live in them.
I’m happy to see that Galway, Cork, Dublin, Limerick and Waterford have come together for the collective betterment of urban Ireland, and I look forward to working with City Regions Ireland to ensure that our cities grow and develop sustainably into the future.”
A representative for City Regions Ireland sechoed the Ministers’ statement.
“For too long urban Ireland has been badly in need of a unified voice calling for what all of our cities require, calling for sustainability and to be effectively planned as cities that people can live, play and do business in.
Today, City Regions Ireland has been launched to remedy this and to give our cities a clear urban agenda incorporating every aspect of city planning from housing and core density to public transport and international connectivity
Ireland’s five city regions have been identified as the economic engines of the country in the National Planning Framework and City Regions Ireland has come together under the common goal of ensuring the cities of Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford are developed with the coordination and intent of real urban planning.”
City Regions Ireland is made up of Cork Chamber, Dublin Chamber, Galway Chamber, Limerick Chamber and Waterford Chamber, all members of Chambers Ireland.
