National Planning Framework: First Revision

1. Page 51

   Cite this pagePDF p. 51 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   4.1 Why Urban Places Matter Through many centuries of growth and change, Ireland’s urban areas comprise a rich variety of unique and widely distributed places. At all scales, our cities, towns and villages offer a range of opportunities for community and social interaction, potential for innovation and prosperity and support and enable their surrounding rural areas. The National Strategic Outcomes in Chapter 1 and the National Policy Objectives in Chapter 2, set a Framework to make our cities, towns and villages the places where many more people choose to live, as well as to work and visit, by 2040. Accordingly, this Framework aims to enhance people’s experience of living and working in and visiting urban places in Ireland. Through the actions and policies set out below, our cities, towns and villages must become more attractive and ‘liveable’, and offer a quality of life that more people are willing to choose in the years ahead. Community Urban settlements are important places for trading goods, services and ideas, for information, learning and innovation, as well as for administration, entertainment, healthcare and worship. They offer choice and opportunity as well as connectivity and community. Notwithstanding all of this, some parts of our cities and some towns are now perceived as unattractive places in which to live, seen as suitable only for certain sectors of society or for certain types of development. In other cases, the edges of cities and smaller towns within commuting distance of larger centres have been overdeveloped at a pace that has overwhelmed existing communities. In combination, this pattern has undermined many of our urban places. The value and potential of our cities, towns and villages means that there are opportunities to change direction, especially in the context of an ageing population with smaller household size and new patterns of work and lifestyles. In this context, community interaction and support and access to a range of services will be increasingly important. It is therefore an objective of Project Ireland 2040 to: National Policy Objective 12 Ensure the creation of attractive, liveable, well designed, high quality urban places that are home to diverse and integrated communities that enjoy a high quality of life and well-being. Economy/Prosperity The type of place-making set out above is also critical to economic prosperity as globalisation continues to have a concentrating effect. Employment trends indicate that increasingly, city regions are the focal point for internationally mobile investment. Highvalue added services are attracted primarily to urban areas, and cities are competing with other cities internationally. This means that many sectors, but in particular those related to the information economy and knowledge development, tend to be very place specific. High skilled individuals are attracted together, as firms ‘agglomerate’ in the larger, denser, skilled labour markets found in urban areas. People intensive inward investments such as those in the financial or technology sectors tend to locate in central urban locations, while larger-scale inward investments such as those in the manufacturing sector, have location and servicing requirements that favour outer locations. There is a need to plan for these different types of employment growth in our cities and larger towns and to ensure that population and employment distribution is planned for in an integrated and sustainable manner. In addition to scale and density, the quality and attractiveness of our urban places is a critical factor for inward investment and talent attraction as well as having a steady stream of local talent and innovation associated with third level research institutions. International connectivity is also important, where short travel times to an airport with a good choice of destinations is a critical factor. Domestically trading companies tend to be more distributed and locate where there is a local/regional demand for their services, but changing global circumstances mean that they too need to be agile to adapt through early innovation. This highlights the need to focus on upskilling and life- long learning throughout the regions, as well as supporting sectoral specialisation that have emerged at different locations. In an era when the nature of urban places is a critical factor in determining economic growth and regional development, we must ensure that there are a range of quality urban places in which people will choose to live, work and invest. National Policy Objective 13 Develop cities and towns of sufficient scale and quality to compete internationally and to be drivers of national and regional growth, investment and prosperity. National Planning Framework First Revision | Page 49

2. Page 52

   Cite this pagePDF p. 52 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   The Environment One of the principal benefits of more compact urban development is that it will reduce harmful impacts on the environment by: Reducing land take, preserving agricultural land and habitats; Utilising existing infrastructure, buildings and sites and reducing the need to travel long distances, which will reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions; Improving the viability of public transport services and sustainable and electric mobility infrastructure; Maximising existing capacity and use of existing water services assets, increasing efficiency of assets through use of nature based solutions, and Enhancing public health by encouraging and facilitating more active lifestyles by creating a more walkable and cycling friendly urban environment. All scales and types of urban place have synergies with their surrounding area and are integrated with their hinterland to some extent. They are in turn influenced by activity in the wider area, particularly in the case of smaller settlements. Where close to cities or larger towns, many have become commuter-focused, but elsewhere there are enterprise opportunities in lieu of more traditional service functions, based on local assets, innovation and quality of life, e.g. servicing an emerging resource sector or a new tourist amenity such as a greenway, supported by improving connectivity. Sustainable models of urban development and regeneration can deliver quality and maximise the advantages and opportunities of more compact growth, based on increased population and employment density. Quality design and placemaking is critical for making places attractive and distinctive. Sustainable and efficient movement, a mix and distribution of uses, the protection and enhancement of green and blue infrastructure, responsive built form and well-designed spaces can help to enhance our urban areas and create desirable places in which people want to live, work or visit and contribute to ongoing quality of life and well-being. National Policy Objective 14 Regenerate and rejuvenate cities, towns and villages of all types and scale as environmental assets that can accommodate changing roles and functions, increased residential population and employment activity, enhanced levels of amenity and design and placemaking quality, in order to sustainably influence and support their surrounding area to ensure progress toward national achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Quality design and placemaking is critical for making places attractive and distinctive. Page 50 | National Planning Framework First Revision

3. Page 53

   Cite this pagePDF p. 53 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   4.2 Ireland’s Urban Structure 16 Census of Population (2022) Profile 1 - Population Distribution and Movements - CSO 17 The ‘jobs ratio’ for a settlement is the total number of jobs divided by the resident labour force. A ratio of 1.0 means that there is one job for every resident worker in a settlement and indicates a balance, although not a match, as some resident workers will be employed elsewhere and vice-versa. Ratios of more than 1.0 indicate a net in-flow of workers and of less than 1.0, a net out-flow. The extent to which the ratio is greater or less than 1.0, is also generally indicative of the extent to which a town has a wider area service and employment role, rather than as a commuter settlement. 18 Census of Population 2022 Profile 7 - Employment, Occupations and Commuting - CSO Population The Census of Population 2022 provides a good indication of Ireland’s urban structure16: The Central Statistics Office (CSO) defines a settlement of more than 1,500 people as ‘urban’. In 2022, there were 218 urban settlements (an increase of 18 or 8% of such settlements since 2016), which together accommodated 3.3 million people, or 63% of Ireland’s population. The agreed EU/OECD definition of a ‘city’ is a settlement around a core centre with a population of at least 50,000 people. The five cities of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford and their immediate suburbs together comprised approximately 1.7 million people, or just over one-third (33%) of Ireland’s population. Nearly three-quarters of Ireland’s city dwellers are the 1.3 million people, or one-quarter (25%) of the population, who live in Dublin. Beyond the five cities, a further 1.5 million people, or 30% of Ireland’s population, live in towns and villages with at least 1,500 or more people. There were 49 Towns with a population of at least 10,000 or more people (an increase of 8 or 16% since the 2016 Census), home to 18% of Ireland’s population. Ireland’s urban population is larger than ever before and more than half of the population, or nearly 2.7 million people, now live in cities or large towns of at least 10,000 people. The overall urban structure remains relatively weak and focused on Dublin and the south and east of Ireland. In particular, Dublin’s population almost equates to that of the next 40 cities and towns combined. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) defines a settlement of fewer than 1,500 people as ‘rural’. In 2022, 37% of Ireland’s population lived in settlements of fewer than 1,500 people or in individual houses in rural areas. The Role of Employment Population only partly explains Ireland’s urban structure. Employment, or more specifically, where jobs are located, is also an important factor and influences settlement patterns. A significant proportion, or more than half of Ireland’s largest towns measured in terms of population, are located within the Dublin or Cork city regions. While these towns are economically active in their own right, many function as commuter settlements for employees working in Dublin and Cork and have a low ratio of jobs to residential workforce. While there are few large towns in the Northern and Western Region north of Galway City, towns in the North-West and in other areas outside the larger city regions, such as the Midlands, tend to have more significant employment and service functions relative to their regional and local catchment. Some also have very high ratios of jobs to resident workforce17, which means that they are attracting workers from a wide catchment area. Data for all urban settlements is included as part of Appendix 2. It is significant that out of a total of 164 settlements in Ireland with fewer than 10,000 people in 2022, 41 of these had a population of more than 5,000, but only sixteen had more than 2,500 jobs. On the one hand, this highlights a number of locations where smaller settlements by reason of accessibility, employment and local services, fulfil important roles for a wider area, many as county towns, but on the other, it assists in explaining why the population of this category of town has either declined or stagnated in recent years18. A number of larger settlements of more than 10,000 people are characterised by very low ratios of jobs to resident workforce, having around 2,500 jobs or fewer in 2016, mainly commuter settlements that have undergone rapid residential expansion in recent decades. This type of commuter-focused residential development is similarly apparent in respect of many smaller towns, located within the larger city regions. There is also a category of historically larger towns, mainly in Leinster, that experienced significant commuter based residential growth during the same period, but not jobs growth, in part due a decline in traditional industrial and process-based employment. These include, for example, Balbriggan, Navan and Portlaoise, three of Ireland’s fastest growing large towns between 1996 and 2022, where the population has grown rapidly, without equivalent increases in jobs. National Planning Framework First Revision | Page 51

4. Page 54

   Cite this pagePDF p. 54 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   In contrast, there are a number of large settlements throughout Ireland, where the ratio of jobs to resident workforce has remained high, due to a more sustainable balance of employment and population growth. There were also some large towns with a good balance of jobs and population in 2022, but generally with a lower ratio of workers to jobs, for a combination of reasons ranging from proximity to larger centres of employment, to some loss of traditional occupations. 4.3 Planning for Ireland’s Urban Growth The unique and complex nature of Ireland’s urban structure suggests the need for a range of complementary strategies in the context of planning for future growth. In order to achieve more balanced and sustainable development, some settlements will need to attract increased population, whereas others will need more jobs, amenities or better transport links. Some require a combination of these, but all will require a tailored approach, recognising the Compact Growth objectives of this framework and the principles of the Town Centre First policy approach, that can be appropriately linked to investment, through the National Development Plan, including investment through the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, both established in support of this Framework: As well as focusing on the role of Dublin and the significant potential of Ireland’s other four cities, there is a need to strengthen Ireland’s overall urban structure, especially in the North-West and the Midlands and to continue to enhance cross border networks; There is a need to encourage population growth in towns of all sizes that are strong employment and service centres, where potential for sustainable growth exists, also supported by employment growth; There is a need to reverse the stagnation or decline of many smaller urban centres, that may include the identification and establishment of new roles and functions and enhancement of local infrastructure and amenities; There is a need to address the legacy of rapid unplanned growth in expanded commuter settlements of all sizes, by facilitating amenities and services catch-up, jobs growth and/or improved sustainable transport links to the cities, together with a much slower, more sustainable rate of population growth than in recent decades; In more self-contained settlements of all sizes, with a good balance of people and jobs, there is a need to continue balanced population and employment growth. It is therefore an objective of the National Planning Framework to: National Policy Objective 15 Apply a tailored approach to urban development, linked to the Rural and Urban Regeneration and Development Funds, with a particular focus on: Dublin; The four Cities of Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford; Strengthening Ireland’s overall urban structure, particularly in the Northern and Western and Midland Regions, to include the regional centres of Sligo and Letterkenny in the North-West, Athlone in the Midlands and cross-border networks focused on the Letterkenny-Derry North-West City Region and Drogheda-Dundalk-Newry on the Dublin-Belfast corridor; Encouraging population growth in strong employment and service centres of all sizes, supported by employment growth; Reversing the stagnation or decline of many smaller urban centres, by identifying and establishing new roles and functions and enhancement of local infrastructure and amenities; Addressing the legacy of rapid unplanned growth, by facilitating amenities and services catch-up, jobs and/or improved sustainable transport links to the cities, together with a slower rate of population growth in recently expanded commuter settlements of all sizes; In more self-contained settlements of all sizes, supporting a continuation of balanced population and employment growth. Page 52 | National Planning Framework First Revision

5. Page 55

   Cite this pagePDF p. 55 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Ireland’s Cities As a key element of the NPF strategy to grow Ireland’s three regions, build more accessible centres of scale and to ensure more compact and sustainable forms of development that will be supported by focused investment, and new governance arrangements, it will be necessary to encourage proportionally higher levels of population growth in Ireland’s five cities. Dublin is Ireland’s globally competitive city of scale and continues to drive much of the growth of the country as a whole. Cork is emerging as an international centre of scale and is well placed to complement Dublin, but requires significantly accelerated and urban-focused growth to more fully achieve this role. The Dublin City and immediately adjoining suburban area should therefore plan to grow at a targeted rate of just above the projected national average to 2040, i.e. by around 20% to 25%19. The planned rate of growth in the Cork City and suburban area should be approximately 40%), over the same period. 19 For comparison purposes, the rate of population growth in Dublin City and suburbs was just under three-quarters of the national average between 1996 and 2022. 20 The rate of population growth in Cork City and suburbs was below the national average between 2016 and 2022. 21 The population of Waterford City and suburbs grew by 12% between 2016 and 2022, and Limerick City and suburbs by 9%, both ahead of the national average. Galway City and Suburbs grew by just 7%, below the national average. 22 City population growth targets are at the minimum point of the range and are rounded to the nearest 1,000. Given Dublin’s scale, this means planning for at least 296,000 more people in the City and suburbs by 2040, in addition to new sustainable communities at brownfield and greenfield locations along planned high capacity public transport corridors in the post- 2030 period. The higher targeted rate of growth for Cork also means planning for significant numbers, i.e. at least 96,000 more people by 204020. The cities of Limerick, Galway and Waterford are also important drivers of national growth and key regional centres. All have international visibility to some extent and require greater scale. As part of the National Planning Framework strategy to accelerate the development of and strengthen these Cities, all three should also plan to grow by over 40% to 204021. National Policy Objective 16 To ensure that the targeted pattern of population growth of Ireland’s cities to 2040 is in accordance with the targets set out in Table 4.1. 22 Table 4.1 | Ireland 2040: Targeted Pattern of City Population Growth City Population 2022 2018 NPF Population Growth to 204020 Minimum Target Population 2040 % Range 2016-2040 % Range 2022-2040 People Dublin - City and Suburbs 1,263,000 20-25% 20-25% 296,000 1,560,000 Cork - City and Suburbs 223,000 50-60% 40% 96,000 320,000 Limerick - City and Suburbs 102,000 50-60% 40% 44,000 150,000 Galway - City and Suburbs 86,000 40% 36,000 122,000 Waterford - City and Suburbs 60,000 40% 28,000 88,000 National Planning Framework First Revision | Page 53

6. Page 56

   Cite this pagePDF p. 56 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Ireland’s Towns There is scope for potential growth in all towns in Ireland. In the context of the National Planning Framework, this will largely be determined by the relevant Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy for each Regional Assembly area, also taking into consideration the potential of smaller settlements and rural areas. National Policy Objectives 5 and 15 recognise the key regional roles of Athlone in the Midlands, Sligo in the North-West, and the Letterkenny- Derry and Drogheda-Dundalk-Newry crossborder networks and will inform the relevant Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies. National Policy Objective 15 also recongises the need to encourage population growth in strong employment and services centres, supported by employment growth, including key towns. The extent to which these towns should target future growth will be determined at regional level in the context of the implementation of this Framework. While targeted growth in the regional centres and key towns will take the lead in a regional and in the case of Athlone, inter-regional context, this must also be balanced with that targeted elsewhere. In all cases, regional and local planning authorities must consider the varied growth potential of different types of settlement in accordance with National Policy Objective 15, as well as rural areas, and tailor a strategy to balance this accordingly. It is not expected that all towns, large or small, will each target the same level of growth to 2040 and targets set in accordance with the Framework and the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies will be reviewed based on performance. But all towns can and must grow over this period and some will be identified as having capacity for higher than average levels of growth. In each Regional Assembly area, where it is proposed to target significant growth, i.e. at a rate of 30% or more above 2022 population levels to 2040, in any settlement not identified in Policy 4 or Policy 5 of this Framework, for example where there will be major employment or infrastructure investment, this will be on an agreed basis, aligned with investment in infrastructure and/or the provision of employment, together with supporting amenities and services: There is scope for potential growth in all towns in Ireland. In the context of the National Planning Framework, this will largely be determined by the relevant Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy for each Regional Assembly area Page 54 | National Planning Framework First Revision

7. Page 57

   Cite this pagePDF p. 57 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   National Policy Objective 17 In each Regional Assembly area, settlements not identified in Policy 4 or 5 of this Framework, may be identified for significant (i.e. 30% or more above 2022 population levels) rates of population growth at regional and local planning stages, provided this is subject to: Agreement (regional assembly, metropolitan area and/or local authority as appropriate); Balance with strategies for other urban and rural areas (regional assembly, metropolitan area and/or local authority as appropriate), which means that the totality of planned population growth has to be in line with the overall growth target; and A co-ordinated strategy that ensures alignment with the delivery of investment in infrastructure and the provision of employment, together with supporting amenities and services. While the above planning considerations will generally apply to all urban and rural areas, this specific provision is intended to ensure that in settlements identified for significant population growth, it is aligned with the provision of employment and/or infrastructure and supporting facilities, to ensure a good quality of life for both existing and future residents. The Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies for each Regional Assembly area shall address the potential of towns and their catchments in conjunction with consideration of growth targets for cities and rural areas. In applying a tailored approach to urban development, that can be linked to the Rural and Urban Regeneration and Development Funds, key considerations further to NPO 15 will include: The extent to which a settlement is located inside or outside one of the five defined City- Region catchments and may be characterised as commuter focused or as more self- contained23; The scale of employment provision and net commuting flows; The extent of local services and amenities provision i.e. administration, education – particularly higher education institutes, health, leisure and retail; The extent to which trips may be made by sustainable modes of travel, i.e. walking, cycling, or public transport, the provision of electric vehicle charging infrastructure and the scale of planned investment in such; 23 The standardised EU/OECD definition of a city region is the commuter catchment from which at least 15% of the relevant city area workforce is drawn. This will vary from Census to Census, but has been expanding in recent years. The rate and pace of development from 2002-2022 and the extent to which there are outstanding requirements for infrastructure and amenities; Accessibility and influence in a regional or subregional context; Particular sub-regional interdependencies, for example, where a settlement may be located in relation to a number of nearby settlements and scope for collaboration and complementarity; Track record of performance and delivery, as well as ambition and initiative and scope to leverage investment; Commitment to achieve compact growth. 4.4 Planning for Urban Employment Growth The pattern of urban growth targeted in the National Planning Framework is population and employment led, recognising that firms and enterprise development are drawn to urban locations by market forces such as agglomeration, migration and specialisation that depend on factors such as scale, accessibility, innovation supported by higher education institutions and quality of life. Projected employment growth in Ireland to 2040, although significant, is subject to our capacity to accommodate it. Sustainable enterprise thrives in supportive business environments that enhance competitiveness and productivity with good supporting infrastructure. There are also critical links between the quality of urban place-making and business investment/ job creation. Place-making is identified as a key differentiator in the Government’s White Paper on Enterprise 2022 - 2030. The NPF strategy focusses a significant proportion of population growth in Ireland’s Cities, while also seeking to improve urban infrastructure and amenities, liveability/ quality of life and the quality of the built environment. This approach intends to ensure that we continue to provide an attractive range of enterprise development opportunities in the face of changing employment activity and sectors. National Planning Framework First Revision | Page 55

8. Page 58

   Cite this pagePDF p. 58 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   At an urban scale, in cities and towns generally, it is important to identify locations where enterprises can access competitively priced development lands, utilities and commercial properties to the highest standards available internationally. Planning to accommodate strategic employment growth at regional, metropolitan and local level should include consideration of: Current employment location, density of workers, land-take and resource/infrastructure dependency and availability, including town centres, business parks, industrial estates, significant single enterprises and lands with high levels of public transport accessibility, including areas identified with potential for Transport Orientated Development (TOD); The size and scale of a settlement which will inform its capacity to accommodate enterprise development of appropriate scale; Locations for expansion of existing enterprises including availability of light industrial space for small business to scale; Locations for new enterprises, based on the extent to which they are people intensive (i.e. employees/customers), space extensive (i.e. land), tied to resources, dependent on the availability of different types of infrastructure (e.g. telecoms, power, water, roads, airport, port etc.) or dependent on skills availability; Locations for potential relocation of enterprises that may be better suited to alternative locations and where such a move, if facilitated, would release urban land for more efficient purposes that would be of benefit to the regeneration and development of the urban area as a whole, particularly in metropolitan areas and large towns. In addition to the five cities, there are opportunities for other urban areas and in particular wellconnected towns that are accessible to a significant population catchment and/or can offer a good quality of life, to accommodate employment growth. National Policy Objective 18 Regional and Local Authorities to identify and quantify locations for strategic employment development in the cities identified in Table 4.1. National Policy Objective 19 Regional and Local Authorities to identify and quantify locations for strategic employment development, where suitable, in urban and rural areas generally. While regional and local plans should seek to anticipate and plan for jobs growth and economic development, new and unexpected opportunities for enterprise development are likely to arise for particular locational reasons, such as local resources, skills, assets, innovation or quality of life. Regional and local planning policies should be sufficiently agile to account for these possibilities, to accommodate valid propositions for enterprise development that may emerge and for which there are strong locational drivers that do not apply to the same extent elsewhere. Page 56 | National Planning Framework First Revision

9. Page 59

   Cite this pagePDF p. 59 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   ‘Smart specialisation’ and ‘clustering’ policy provides an opportunity to build on local distinctiveness and regional strengths. Smart specialisation is a place-based innovation policy, aimed at promoting regional innovation and economic transformation by helping regions to focus on their key sectoral strengths. This may include unique characteristics or capabilities that provide advantages to that region in certain sectors. For example, this might include areas such as renewable energy, medical technologies, biopharma or ICT. It requires higher education, research organisations and business, along with government departments and agencies, to identify these strengths, build on competitive advantages and prioritise support based on where local potential and market opportunities lie. This aligns with the NPF’s focus on cities and regional centres as key drivers of sustainable growth. Smart specialisation also strengthens the relationship between the nine DETE Regional Enterprise Plans, the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies, and national enterprise and innovation policy. In addition, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment intends to devise and introduce a centrally coordinated, cross-Government approach to clustering in 2024 that will encourage the formation and strengthening of national cluster organisations, leveraging the benefits of proximity and co-location to boost productivity. The identification of priority areas for enhanced clustering will be underpinned by an assessment of competitive strengths and potential opportunities against a range of factors, including the scale of potential impact, innovation intensity and research capability, as well as market direction. 4.5 Achieving Urban Infill/ Brownfield Development The National Planning Framework targets a significant proportion of future urban development on infill/brownfield development sites within the built footprint of existing urban areas. This is applicable to all scales of settlement, from the largest city, to the smallest village. This means encouraging more people, jobs and activity generally within our existing urban areas, rather than mainly ‘greenfield’ development and requires a change in outlook. In particular, it requires well-designed, high quality development that can encourage more people, and generate more jobs and activity within existing cities, towns and villages. This is provided that development meets appropriate standards to achieve targeted levels of growth. It also requires active management of land and sites in urban areas. National Policy Objective 20 In meeting urban development requirements, there will be a presumption in favour of development that can encourage more people and generate more jobs and activity within existing cities, towns and villages, subject to development meeting appropriate planning standards and achieving targeted growth. This means encouraging more people, jobs and activity generally within our existing urban areas, rather than mainly ‘greenfield’ development and requires a change in outlook. National Planning Framework First Revision | Page 57

10. Page 60

    Cite this pagePDF p. 60 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
    Regeneration and Rejuvenation Central to delivering the vision in the NPF is a more public policy directed approach to the delivery and location of future development, including housing that our economy and society needs over the next decade and beyond. There are many areas in our cities, towns and villages that contain lands and buildings not developed or used to their full potential. A significant portion of these lands are in public ownership, such as the large city centre areas that were former docks or rail depots or other large areas in key locations (including the city centres of Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford) and along new public transport corridors opened up by infrastructure projects such as the Luas Cross City line in Dublin. Investment in public housing on local authority and wider State lands will, at one level, be used to drive renewal and rejuvenation, meeting people’s housing needs much closer to existing transport, services and amenities, rather than continually sprawling outwards, where both housing and supporting infrastructure must be provided from scratch. At a time when many people wish to live close to where they work and to the services and amenities necessary to enjoy a good quality of life, they struggle to do so because the urban housing market has become constrained. More homes and more affordable homes must be provided in our urban areas as part of the creation of mixed-tenure communities. Through targeted NDP investment in enabling infrastructure and services on publicly owned sites, leveraging the value of the land to provide mixedtenure developments and providing flexibility on design and density, particularly in our urban cores, we can facilitate more cost-efficient construction and a variety of homes, within both new housing developments and re-development of existing builtup areas. Developing within the existing built up footprint of a settlement can deliver considerable cost savings to the State in terms of infrastructure provision when compared to greenfield development. It is necessary to ensure that public policy can directly influence the strategic development of housing for the common good. To do this, Government will continue to put in place measures to better manage the supply of development land, support the development of infill, compact development to meet housing land requirements, ease pressure on building land and housing costs and to capture gains in land value from the development process for investment in necessary public infrastructure. Since 2018, land activation measures such as the Residential Zoned Land Tax and proposals to introduce Land Value Sharing measures have been developed to facilitate the active management of development land. Urban Regeneration and Development – Sligo Town As a key activator of the NPF, the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) supports projects that will secure sustainable compact growth and effective regional development and help to tackle legacy issues of underdevelopment such as in the Northern and Western Region. The strategy for growing our regions focusses on building centres of scale, linking regeneration and redevelopment initiatives to harness the growth potential of our regional cities and towns. To deliver this, the URDF is helping to fund a number of public realm and public infrastructure projects in the key regional centre of Sligo, to regenerate and rejuvenate the town centre and to act as a catalyst for sustainable population and economic growth in the wider north-west region. The URDF and Department of Transport are funding a new bridge connecting the communities north and south of the Garavogue River, a key policy objective in the Sligo Regional Growth Centre Strategic Plan in the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES). The URDF is also supporting, with Fáilte Ireland and Sligo County Council, the redevelopment of Stephen Street car park into a fully pedestrianised public space known as Queen Maeve Square, which will provide for outdoor dining and cultural events overlooking the Garavogue River. Together with the development of the City Campus –Cultural and Learning Hub and the O’Connell Street Enhancement Projects, and the implementation of the Sligo Public Realm strategy the URDF is supporting the transformation, regeneration and redevelopment of strategic underutilised sites in the centre of Sligo. Case Study Page 58 | National Planning Framework First Revision

Source Government of Ireland: National Planning Framework: First Revision (April 2025) · Licence the publisher's termsText read from the publisher’s PDF; tables, maps and drawings do not survive as text, and page numbers are the PDF’s (its first page is 1). Check the original before relying on a passage.