Two significant issues encountered when trying to deliver good planning and sustainable development in Ireland today, urban sprawl and high levels of dereliction were the focus of recent episodes of Eco Eye, Ireland’s longest running environmental series.
On 15 February, “Dereliction” examined why Ireland has one of the highest rates of vacancy in Europe. Presenter Duncan Stewart considered how addressing vacancy and dereliction in our cities and towns could be the key to dealing with repairing sprawl, increasing housing stock and improving urban environments.
On 22 February, in “Higher Density Vs Urban Sprawl,” presenter Dr Lara Dungan, explored urban densification, the need to build upwards and make better use of under-utilised urban land, while providing attractive, affordable urban housing. She also covered the importance of proximity, density and diversity in city life by exploring the “15 minute city” model.
Since 2020, the OPR has collaborated with the producers of Eco Eye on seven episodes which examined the importance of spatial planning in creating more liveable villages, towns and cities. The first five episodes are available on our You Tube Channel.