One challenge is that compact growth policy could inadvertently facilitate urban sprawl if it overlooks the more space extensive commercial and industrial sectors and focuses solely on housing. To take the City Edge example in Dublin, the industrial uses around the Naas Road are obviously not going to evaporate, but will go out further to the periphery.
So, we need better planning of our industrial areas too and more holistic thinking about how our cities function as economic regions, and unfortunately I don't think the NESC report really addressed this. Maybe we need the IDA to sign up to compact growth almost as much as the LDA!
Thanks Killian, to be honest I'd never really considered that. From what I gather from the economic sociology/geography literature, directing investment in terms of location is notoriously difficult. No doubt you would know a lot more about it than I do!
Very interesting post and report.
One challenge is that compact growth policy could inadvertently facilitate urban sprawl if it overlooks the more space extensive commercial and industrial sectors and focuses solely on housing. To take the City Edge example in Dublin, the industrial uses around the Naas Road are obviously not going to evaporate, but will go out further to the periphery.
So, we need better planning of our industrial areas too and more holistic thinking about how our cities function as economic regions, and unfortunately I don't think the NESC report really addressed this. Maybe we need the IDA to sign up to compact growth almost as much as the LDA!
Thanks Killian, to be honest I'd never really considered that. From what I gather from the economic sociology/geography literature, directing investment in terms of location is notoriously difficult. No doubt you would know a lot more about it than I do!