Planning For Regional Growth in Ireland

NUI Galway hosted a major conference on ‘Planning For Regional Development: The National Planning Framework as a Roadmap for Ireland’s Future’ last Friday. The conference was organised by the Regional Studies Association Irish Branch, in collaboration with NUI Galway and the Western Development Commission and is part of a wider public engagement initiative on behalf of the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government.

Current trends suggest that the next 30 years could see the Republic’s population reach up to 6.5 million and Ireland will need to plan for such growth. The development pressures arising, along with the need to address development legacies from the past all require innovative and long-term thinking to avoid unnecessary congestion and inadequate housing provision.  There is also a hugely challenging environment of change internationally, including the impending Brexit.

Coverage of the discussions surrounding the dominance of Dublin at the conference can be found in the Irish Times and the Irish Independent.