10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
2 Policy Context
Project Ireland 2040 is the long-term overarching government strategy that seeks to focus public spending on infrastructure in areas that will improve life in Ireland for all its people.
Project Ireland 2040 aims to accommodate an additional population of one million people by 2040. Under this strategy, the framework to guide development and investment on a national level is the NPF. The framework aims to define common goals on a national level, so that more detailed policies adopted at regional and local levels are complimentary and avoid conflicting policies as has often occurred in the past. The NPF aims to establish ‘regional parity’ between the different regions of Ireland, with targeted growth in the Southern, Northern and Western regions to address the ‘regional dominance’ of the Eastern and Midland Region. Without this, the pressure on Dublin and its environs will continue to increase and overall national development will suffer. In the Southern Region, it is intended that the population will increase by 340,000-380,000 to around 2 million people, with the number in employment increasing by 225,000 to around 880,000 from 2016 to 2040. All Regional Assemblies have now adopted an RSES to give effect to the NPF at regional level. All Local Authorities are now required to ensure alignment of Development Plans and Local Area Plans with the RSES to ensure the achievement of national and regional policy objectives.
The physical form of urban development is identified as one of the most important challenges to solve for regional potential to be unlocked. It is noted that infrastructure and amenities have tended to play catch-up with new housing and employment, which has led to car dependence and difficulty in providing sufficient public transport. The trend towards suburban development has hollowed out urban centres and created sprawl, which has in turn reduced the attractiveness of towns and villages as places to live and work, increased Ireland’s carbon footprint relative to our European neighbours, and negatively impacted on the nation’s quality of life. “All Regional Assemblies have now adopted an RSES to give effect to the NPF at regional level”
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