What Project Ireland 2040 means for the Southern Region The NPF projects that the population of the Region will grow from between 340,000 to 380,000 people by 2040, bringing our population to almost two million and an additional 225,000 people in employment (880,000 in total). The challenge for the RSES is to implement a strategy to ensure that this growth is managed in a sustainable way. No place or community is left behind by the RSES. A dual-track strategy is pursued that builds on the cities, metropolitan areas as significantly scaled engines of growth, and supports a sustainable competitive advantage by repositioning the Region’s strong network of towns, villages and rural areas in an imaginative and smart manner. An innovative approach is taken to securing long-term transformational and rejuvenation-focused city growth through Metropolitan Strategic Area Plans (MASPs) for Cork, Limerick-Shannon and Waterford Metropolitan Areas and the identification of Key Towns. The principles of compact growth and unlocking the potential of centrally located sites will be key deliverables of the MASPs. Developing underutilised land to boost population and economic outputs of city centre areas and our strong network of towns is pursued. In turn the accelerated development of our urban areas will act as economic drivers for the wider Region. Developing their combined strengths will create an effective complement to the economic strength of Dublin. Equally the focus must be on ensuring a balanced approach and realising the much-underutilised potential in rural towns and dispersed communities. There is a key focus on strengthening our smaller towns and villages as well as rural areas. Responding to the challenge of Climate Change is a priority. AresponsiveRegional Transport Strategy (RTS), alongwith the roll-out of thenational high-speedbroadbandprogramme, iskey tosafeguarding the sustainable growth of the Region. Further promotion and development of attractions and capacity to capitalise on latent potential in tourism and local enterprise is essential. Growing the dividend from the Region’s clean renewable energy and tourism potential is clearly identified in the NPF, as is the development of a more integrated network of greenways, blueways and peatways to support diversification of rural and regional economies, thereby promoting more sustainable forms of travel and activity-based recreation. The NPF places an emphasis on consolidating the development of places that grew rapidly in the past decade or so with large scale commuter driven housing development. It has a focus on addressing local community and amenity facility provision through targeted investment. Actions to support significant city, rural town and village and rural rejuvenation include support from the Urban and Rural Regeneration and Development Funds.
Southern Regional Assembly | RSES
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