By: Cristina Cuevas Exposito
The future is bright in Ireland’s capital city, Dublin, with its commerce getting stronger by the quarter, month, day, or minute even… so how has it still managed to maintain its architectural and social charms, whilst also being a modern and forward-thinking city? What are the future redevelopments in the pipeline, that will mean locals and those relocating alike, will continue to enjoy all that the jewel of the Emerald Isle has to offer?
We did a little digging and pulled together this blog, so for those thinking of relocating to this fantastic city, read more to find out all about its exciting future, and really why relocating there could be a great opportunity!
DEVELOPMENT AND PRESERVATION IN DUBLIN
Dublin is one of the oldest capital cities in Europe, dating back over a thousand years. Since the 1960s however Dublin has been extensively re-developed, and, as a result, some of the earlier architecture has been replaced, not without pressure though from preservationists, who are not inclined to accept such substantial development.
The pressure from preservationists became most prevalent in the 1980s and 1990s when considerable efforts to conserve Dublin’s older buildings were made. Dublin’s road-widening intents were abandoned; strict preservation rules were applied; and the keeping intact some of the main squares (despite one of most emblematic ones, St. Stephen’s Green which had already lost much of its Georgian architecture) were just some of the outcomes achieved.
1990s development…
By the 1990s Dublin Corporation was pushing towards the preservation of Georgian buildings; and as a result, the City Hall was restored to its 18th century interior and Nelson’s Pillar was replaced by a new Spire of Dublin, the world’s tallest sculpture, on the site of the old Pillar and which could be seen from any point of the city.
Luckily this change of attitude prevented the development of Temple Bar, one of the few parts of Dublin that was still standing after developers destroyed most of the medieval streets nearby the during the Georgian era. In 1991, the government set up a not-for-profit company called Temple Bar Properties, managed to oversee the regeneration of the area which represents today one of Dublin’s most exciting and vibrant quarters.
What are Dublin’s development plans today?
Today, the ‘Development Plan 2022-2028’ is currently being approved. The main aim of this ambitious plan is to provide an integrated, coherent spatial framework to ensure the city adopts an inclusive development which will improve the quality of life for citizens, whilst also being simultaneously an attractive place to live, work and visit. The new plan has come in the middle of a challenging scenario with a global climate crisis, in a society still suffering the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and the uncertain political situation after Brexit. This new development plan intends to build a strong sense of sustainability, as well as long-term recovery of the city, having as its primary goal to benefit its citizens, the region and the country.
One of the most important parts of the development plan is enhancement of the public transportation network. There are already plans in motion for key public transport investments, including into the Metro, Bus Connects, Dart + and the Luas extension. Cycle paths will also be considered, with upgrades to them during the next few years, at the same time as works on the enhancement of the city centre progress, along with an expansion of green areas.
Ultimately the ‘Development plan 2022-2028’ aims to fulfil both the Dubliners and visitor’s needs, and to achieve the aspirations of citizens of Dublin and the country, not only for the six-year life of the plan, but for the long term. The final objective of the plan is to develop a low carbon, sustainable, climate resilient city.
It is also expected that by 2050, Dublin will be a sustainable zero carbon city with all of its energy coming from renewable energy sources. All of the city’s buildings will have been built or adhered to near zero energy building standards, providing comfortable, warm, living and working environments. By 2030 ‘conventionally-fuelled’ cars in urban transport will be significantly reduced and Dublin will have achieved CO2-free city logistics.
Within the next 10 years, Dublin will be globally known as one of Europe’s most sustainable, lively and resourceful city regions. Dublin Chamber has even gone a step further in terms of its future vision wanting Dublin to become a “15-minute city”. Dublin Chamber’s vision is that within 15 minutes of active transport from their home, residents should:
- Have access to a key public transport hub to commute around the city to access work or higher-level services.
- Be connected to their local community through safe, accessible, and well-connected footpaths and cycle paths.
- Have access to an open greenspace and high-quality public realm.
- Have facilities and services that promote local living and a local economy.
Such a vision, if carried out successfully, could prove transformative for Dublin and enhance not only the lives of its residents and local economy, but its attractiveness as a place in which to do business!
Please get in touch with our friendly team for help with relocating to Ireland!
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_and_preservation_in_Dublin
