New RIAI Policy on Planning and Development Management launched at the Ireland 2050: Balanced by Design Conference
Setting out key actions needed to radically reform our current planning, design and delivery systems, RIAI President, Sean Mahon FRIAI, has launched the new RIAI Policy on Planning and Development Management 2025 document at the Ireland 2050: Balanced by Design conference in Dublin on 25 March.
Speaking at the joint RIAI and The Academy of Urbanism (AoU) Conference, Sean Mahon, said:
Ireland today stands at the threshold of unprecedented growth. Our current housing and public infrastructure deficits are well documented – in itself that is a challenge – but in tandem with planning to remedy this deficit, we also have to plan for the future and that future is one in which our population is expected to grow by a further 2 million people by 2050. Without a change in direction, the impact of continuing with our current patterns of development can be catastrophic on the quality of life, on climate and on our economy.
The President added:
Any well-designed city requires a vision and strategic thinking to ensure it is planned, designed, built, managed, and maintained in a holistic and integrated way, that deliver for our communities and creates a city of tomorrow that is future-proofed, enjoyable and sustainable for our citizens. However, in Ireland, we have a planning system that is based primarily on development planning and planning consents and controls. The current development plan cycle does not encourage or reward strategic long-term thinking, and our project-by-project application and assessment process leads to unknown timelines and the costs. And one where planning applications are assessed on an individual basis rather than how they integrate into the bigger picture. It has become unnecessarily complex, adversarial and inherently uncertain. Ireland’s housing and public infrastructure crisis is not insurmountable, but now is the time to act, to enable Irish cities and towns to survive and prosper in coming decades.
The new RIAI Policy on Planning and Development 2025 sets out many of the key actions needed to take to radically reform our current planning, design and delivery systems and unlock the blockages and inefficiencies in the current system:
- Long term vision and strategy
- Development of urban designs and spatial planning in 3D
- Civic engagement in the planning process
- Equipping our local authorities with expert Architects, urban designers and town planners to deliver the planning system we need
The President concluded: "By embracing these bold reforms, we believe we can realise a planning system that is fit for purpose for a modern 21st century society, one that will help create resilient, sustainable, thriving communities, and one that will serve us well for generations to come."
