‘Redrawing Dublin’ by Paul Kearns and Motti Ruimy was released just in time for Christmas published by Gandon Books and with funding from the Arts Council. Judging by how difficult it was to get a copy, most people in planning and architecture probably got one in their Christmas stocking. At 360 pages this is a big book, and by all accounts a very beautiful one. The graphic design and imagery are really well put together. It is no doubt a labour of love by the authors, who have clearly put a huge amount of work into it.
However, while this book proclaims to let the facts speak for themselves, the overall impression one is left with is of a passionate but highly personal view of the city. While facts are presented, the source is narrow (census material generally) and analysis far from convincing. That Paul Kearns is currently employed by Dublin City Council as a Senior Planner, this bias gives the publication an awkward albeit interesting tension.
The book is full of wild left hooks which are personal in nature. Opinions or lifestyles (people that don’t live in apartments in the city centre) that diverge from the authors are described openly as bigoted. This is the language of modernism, not pluralism or urbanism. The authors had a vision, and the city didn’t buy it; so now they’re bitter.
They’re disappointed of the failed project of the current city development plan, and the English (DEGW) approach to messing up a European city through insertion of tall buildings in a willy-nilly fashion.
They fire shots at An Bord Pleanala for saving the city from a host of poorly conceived projects designed by Irish architects. The Digital Hub would (as illustrated) clearly have been appalling physical legacy of the Celtic Tiger if the towers had been allowed to rise up, to scar Dublin as they have London for instance.
However, rather than investigate the real reason for the failure of the grandiose modernist architectural projects for the capital (i.e. complete failure to comply with policy and guidance and the abject failure of the PPP procurement/competition process and government agencies such as Digital Hub), they prefer to take cheap shots at the City Planner for living outside the canals.
The ideas presented for projects come in the shape of ‘brave’ concepts such as a ‘lattice boulevard’, or a new diagonal street cut through the hear of the much abused Dublin 8, so that it makes a nice straight line with Phoenix Park; abstract would be a kind way of describing it.
There is regurgitation of the critique that the problem is the people who have children and move out of the city. So what does a Senior Planner do? Blame the people and their life decisions. This is a complete mis-analysis of the problem.
The reality is that young childless couples, and singles, just as much as families chose to live in the suburban periphery because they wanted to get on the housing ladder... and apartments weren’t seen as a good bet. It was all part of the grandiose pyramid property scheme. The regional shopping centres are full of people in their twenties with spending power who drive around the periphery or edge city, without due incentive to disrupt their comfortable car-based lifestyle. The city centre wasn’t a good enough product, it was too expensive, and too little quality – not just in apartments; but in every department.
The city centre still is nowhere near a good enough product. The average housing estate has better tree planting and pavements than the average Dublin City Street. Walk down a street in Barcelona or Madrid and have a look what you’re walking on ... the chances are its tiles or mosaics.. not tarmac or broken cement. This is urbanism at its most basic. If you want the city to be your living room; put down a nice carpet! If you want to know why Ranelagh is a successful neighbourhood, its because it looks and feels nice! Real urbanism would cherish, and replenish the historic buildings on Thomas Street, not send them into a downwards spiral of planning blight because of failed mega-projects. What position are the authors in to throw stones at people with families and responsibilities?
Of course, theres much worthwhile material in the book, not least the wonderfully inane contribution of Bertie Aherne. But if you miss the big picture, whats the point?
Planners tend to use the weapons and strategies of the last war to fight the battles of the next one [Deyan Sudjic, The Endless City, p. 35].
1 in 6 of the worlds population are slum dwellers [source: The Endless City]. We shouldn’t underestimate the impact of this statistic or of climate change refugees on our city. There is still an unimagined capacity of Dublin to be an attractive place in a low growth or negative growth economy. But lets hope Prenzlauerberg in Berlin is the model and not Mexico City or bauhaus Tel Aviv.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Tomorrow!
Finally, his desk was clear, if he didn't count that folder of poems he was uneasy just to look at. He put the folder in a drawer, out of sight. That was a good place for it, it was safe there and he'd know just where to go to lay his ands on it when he felt like it. Tomorrow! He'd done everything he could do today. There were still those few calls he'd have to make, and he forgot who was supposed to call him, and there were a few notes he was required to send due to a few of the calls, but he had it made now, didn't he? He was out of the woods. He could call today a day. He'd done what he had to do. What his duty told him he should do. He'd fulfilled his sense of obligation and hadn't disappointed anybody.
...... Nothing else needs to be said, really. What can be said for a man who chooses to blab on the phone all day, or else write stupid letters while he lets his poems go unattended and uncared for, abandoned - or worse, unattempted. This man doesn't deserve poems and they shouldn't be given to him in any form. His poems, should he ever produce any more, ought to be eaten by mice.
- Raymond Carver, One More, from A New Path to the Waterfall (1989)
...... Nothing else needs to be said, really. What can be said for a man who chooses to blab on the phone all day, or else write stupid letters while he lets his poems go unattended and uncared for, abandoned - or worse, unattempted. This man doesn't deserve poems and they shouldn't be given to him in any form. His poems, should he ever produce any more, ought to be eaten by mice.
- Raymond Carver, One More, from A New Path to the Waterfall (1989)
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Procurement and other ailments
[this was written for RTPI Insite Magasine - a publication circulated to Irish members of the RTPI]
While its hard not to think of the Irish “smart economy” or “smart planning” as a complete oxymoron, on a par with “military intelligence”, it is nonetheless a pretty serious concept as we now start to scrape ourselves to our collective feet. Repetition of a mantra doesn’t make it a reality. The Daily Show’s slogan “maybe we can’t” is a particularly devilish turn on Obama’s epiphany. How do we encourage innovation, creativity and efficiency that will make this country truly competitive? Well, one of the lessons of economic recoveries in Finland and New Zealand is the importance of supporting small indigenous, creative companies.
One area of our economy that is desperately in need of a spring clean is procurement. The system of tendering for projects in Ireland is an administrative dinosaur. It is wasteful of resources, time and energy. It is slow, inefficient and opaque. It is unfair and stifles creativity, in favour of status quo and propagation of doing things as they have always been done.
This is because, even for the most basic job, public liability insurance thresholds are typically of the order of 3 million, annual turnover of the company is usually required to be in excess of €1m per annum. Businesses irrespective of the personnel involved are required to have long established trading records. This is not a question of smaller firms being placed at a disadvantage, its effect is that such firms cannot even contemplate competing for projects, because they will fail at the first hurdle irrespective of all other criteria.
The consultancy sector in Ireland has been broken up into a multitude of small firms, alliances and sole traders. People are rolling up their sleeves and adopting to the new realities of the IMF of Ireland, but they have to be given a fighting chance.
We also need to look at the practices of local authorities and private interests who procure work. For example a western county who recently advertised for a PPP road scheme project (design), invited approximately 20 consultancies to interview. The amount expended on tendering, and appearance at the interview by the firms was more than the project was worth. There was also the incidence of a harbour company inviting architectural firms from across Europe to come up with plans for redevelopment, without any statutory basis for the project. It was basically a beauty parade to serve the directors own misguided egos. This sort of practice wastes everybody’s time, and deflects them from addressing their daily duties. Firms cannot employ staff on the basis of putting in tenders, as there is no income from it to justify such appointments. There a complete lack of transparency.
What is more important for a developer commissioning a planning consultant, Health and safety, project management practices, or the ability to give good advice?
As an Institute we need to consider a set of rules, and instruct both the client and the consultant what should be reasonably expected in procurement and negotiation.
Is there a price beneath which a piece of work should not be done? Is it acceptable or ethical for consultants to undertake projects at a cost or on a loss making basis. Should the Institute write to architectural and engineering practices that offer free planning advice? Is it ethical for a local authority to appoint professional planners to undertake a project at a fee level that does not allow the payment of household bills? Should we have standards for consultations- where we charge a fee for professional consultation as any doctor or lawyer?
We also need to be conscious of the non-payers. Should the institute possess a book of clients with a record of poor payment or non-payment (in both public and private sectors)? Whatever about competition, none of us wants to see rogue operators getting away with sharp practices to the loss of colleagues in the Institute. No allegations need to be set down in writing, but it may be sufficient to flag an issue, that would allow a phone call to be made.
Planners need to compete for work on a fair, ethical and transparent basis. Current practices and rules are unacceptable and detrimental to the profession. The RTPI has an important role in firstly recognising a vastly changed planning sector and supporting its development.
While its hard not to think of the Irish “smart economy” or “smart planning” as a complete oxymoron, on a par with “military intelligence”, it is nonetheless a pretty serious concept as we now start to scrape ourselves to our collective feet. Repetition of a mantra doesn’t make it a reality. The Daily Show’s slogan “maybe we can’t” is a particularly devilish turn on Obama’s epiphany. How do we encourage innovation, creativity and efficiency that will make this country truly competitive? Well, one of the lessons of economic recoveries in Finland and New Zealand is the importance of supporting small indigenous, creative companies.
One area of our economy that is desperately in need of a spring clean is procurement. The system of tendering for projects in Ireland is an administrative dinosaur. It is wasteful of resources, time and energy. It is slow, inefficient and opaque. It is unfair and stifles creativity, in favour of status quo and propagation of doing things as they have always been done.
This is because, even for the most basic job, public liability insurance thresholds are typically of the order of 3 million, annual turnover of the company is usually required to be in excess of €1m per annum. Businesses irrespective of the personnel involved are required to have long established trading records. This is not a question of smaller firms being placed at a disadvantage, its effect is that such firms cannot even contemplate competing for projects, because they will fail at the first hurdle irrespective of all other criteria.
The consultancy sector in Ireland has been broken up into a multitude of small firms, alliances and sole traders. People are rolling up their sleeves and adopting to the new realities of the IMF of Ireland, but they have to be given a fighting chance.
We also need to look at the practices of local authorities and private interests who procure work. For example a western county who recently advertised for a PPP road scheme project (design), invited approximately 20 consultancies to interview. The amount expended on tendering, and appearance at the interview by the firms was more than the project was worth. There was also the incidence of a harbour company inviting architectural firms from across Europe to come up with plans for redevelopment, without any statutory basis for the project. It was basically a beauty parade to serve the directors own misguided egos. This sort of practice wastes everybody’s time, and deflects them from addressing their daily duties. Firms cannot employ staff on the basis of putting in tenders, as there is no income from it to justify such appointments. There a complete lack of transparency.
What is more important for a developer commissioning a planning consultant, Health and safety, project management practices, or the ability to give good advice?
As an Institute we need to consider a set of rules, and instruct both the client and the consultant what should be reasonably expected in procurement and negotiation.
Is there a price beneath which a piece of work should not be done? Is it acceptable or ethical for consultants to undertake projects at a cost or on a loss making basis. Should the Institute write to architectural and engineering practices that offer free planning advice? Is it ethical for a local authority to appoint professional planners to undertake a project at a fee level that does not allow the payment of household bills? Should we have standards for consultations- where we charge a fee for professional consultation as any doctor or lawyer?
We also need to be conscious of the non-payers. Should the institute possess a book of clients with a record of poor payment or non-payment (in both public and private sectors)? Whatever about competition, none of us wants to see rogue operators getting away with sharp practices to the loss of colleagues in the Institute. No allegations need to be set down in writing, but it may be sufficient to flag an issue, that would allow a phone call to be made.
Planners need to compete for work on a fair, ethical and transparent basis. Current practices and rules are unacceptable and detrimental to the profession. The RTPI has an important role in firstly recognising a vastly changed planning sector and supporting its development.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Modernism...the one true religion
The Irish Times ran an interview with Ronnie Tallon in the weekend edition of the newspaper http://bit.ly/eo5Atw Tallon has left a large mark on Irish Architecture, and has without doubt produced some really good modern buildings.
Unfortunately, the interview underlines a very puritanical and dogmatic approach to design. It was unsettling yet revealing that the interview attributes Tallon with the phrase "modernism is the one true religion".
The concluding paragraph is also a bit disturbing: -
He also delights in the demise of “post-modernism”, a trend in architecture that he found utterly retrograde. “We went on with the same philosophy we developed 50 years ago. And the new generation in the office carry on that tradition, as devoted to architecture as we were in our day. It’ll go on long after me, and I like that.”
This essentially means that Architecture is Modernism. The article suggests a view that a design that isn't modernist is considered retrograde, and given a contemptuous label. What does it mean "to be devoted to architecture?". However, if you consider you are obeying a religion or a philosophy, you do not stop or take stock of your approach, but reinforce that approach whether valid or not.
Modernism remains at the heart of Irish architecture
Unfortunately, the interview underlines a very puritanical and dogmatic approach to design. It was unsettling yet revealing that the interview attributes Tallon with the phrase "modernism is the one true religion".
The concluding paragraph is also a bit disturbing: -
He also delights in the demise of “post-modernism”, a trend in architecture that he found utterly retrograde. “We went on with the same philosophy we developed 50 years ago. And the new generation in the office carry on that tradition, as devoted to architecture as we were in our day. It’ll go on long after me, and I like that.”
This essentially means that Architecture is Modernism. The article suggests a view that a design that isn't modernist is considered retrograde, and given a contemptuous label. What does it mean "to be devoted to architecture?". However, if you consider you are obeying a religion or a philosophy, you do not stop or take stock of your approach, but reinforce that approach whether valid or not.
Modernism remains at the heart of Irish architecture
Monday, August 16, 2010
Arcade Fire: The Suburbs
How can a planner resist an album titled 'the suburbs', with songs like 'Sprawl 1', Suburban War, and 'City with no Children'? A band writing songs about people and places they live in - and where most people grew up. I don't think they're necessarily saying they're proclaiming the city - it seems to be more about the boredom of placelessness, and surbanisation that never ceases to eat up green fields. In the opening he sings about wanting to have a daughter while hes still young, who can appreciate beauty, while its still around.. and otherwise he'd prefer to have a son.
In 'Wasted Hours' - 'Some Cities make you lose your head, endless suburbs stretched out thin and dead'
In Sprawl I - 'We took a drive into the sprawl, to find the house where we used to stay - We couldn't read the numbers in the dark - You said, "Lets find it another day".
In Sprawl II - 'But late at night the feelings swim towards the surface 'cause on the surface the city lights shine. They're calling at me: "Come and find your kind!". Sometimes I wonder if the world's so small that we can never get awary from the sprawl. Living in the Sprawl the dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains'
Anyway, its a beautiful record at times & worth a listen. Who else writes this kind of stuff?
In 'Wasted Hours' - 'Some Cities make you lose your head, endless suburbs stretched out thin and dead'
In Sprawl I - 'We took a drive into the sprawl, to find the house where we used to stay - We couldn't read the numbers in the dark - You said, "Lets find it another day".
In Sprawl II - 'But late at night the feelings swim towards the surface 'cause on the surface the city lights shine. They're calling at me: "Come and find your kind!". Sometimes I wonder if the world's so small that we can never get awary from the sprawl. Living in the Sprawl the dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains'
Anyway, its a beautiful record at times & worth a listen. Who else writes this kind of stuff?
Monday, June 28, 2010
10 Things....:10
Make infrastructure happen.
This last entry on the list, goes under the sub-heading of 'blindingly obvious - Mr. Stupid'. I also thought of titling this entry 'Build Infrastructure'. But given I have a great wonder for how any building remains standing, I believe that planners are the last people to be entrusted with the actual building bit. However, moving from a position where we understand we need infrastructure (roads, water, public transport) to providing it, is the part planners do get involved in, and should be more proactive at.
Any local authority in Ireland is now strapped for cash and not in the building business. Developers can't get the cash from banks to develop. So are there any alternatives?
Well evidence from UK and US and at home highlights that utilities are a very attractive financial proposition for investors. Of course it doesn't work very well for consumers under a highly de-regulated system (i.e. California) but it can work. Utilities provide a reliable return on investment over time... because you can charge people for it over time, and get your money back with a predictable return on the investment. So what is to stop local authorities or communities progressing water treatment works etc that they can invest in, or perhaps raise bonds/shares and get on with the project?
Who would have thought 10 years ago that collecting bins could be huge business? Well, from the bills I got from 'Panda' I you would guess barristers were emptying wheelie bins. Look at National Toll Roads. Communities and local authorities should be able to make money on infrastructure development - after its built (not before which is the basis of section 38 of Planning Act).
NAMA should be looking around the country for where they can maximise investment into locations that would collectively support new infrastructure. Particularly water supply, and waste water. Infrastructure of this nature, and the capacities available, ultimately dictate where investment should go. This investment needs to be aligned with planning strategies, so that infrastructure goes where it is needed, and the pipes follow the strategic plan and not the other way around.
This last entry on the list, goes under the sub-heading of 'blindingly obvious - Mr. Stupid'. I also thought of titling this entry 'Build Infrastructure'. But given I have a great wonder for how any building remains standing, I believe that planners are the last people to be entrusted with the actual building bit. However, moving from a position where we understand we need infrastructure (roads, water, public transport) to providing it, is the part planners do get involved in, and should be more proactive at.
Any local authority in Ireland is now strapped for cash and not in the building business. Developers can't get the cash from banks to develop. So are there any alternatives?
Well evidence from UK and US and at home highlights that utilities are a very attractive financial proposition for investors. Of course it doesn't work very well for consumers under a highly de-regulated system (i.e. California) but it can work. Utilities provide a reliable return on investment over time... because you can charge people for it over time, and get your money back with a predictable return on the investment. So what is to stop local authorities or communities progressing water treatment works etc that they can invest in, or perhaps raise bonds/shares and get on with the project?
Who would have thought 10 years ago that collecting bins could be huge business? Well, from the bills I got from 'Panda' I you would guess barristers were emptying wheelie bins. Look at National Toll Roads. Communities and local authorities should be able to make money on infrastructure development - after its built (not before which is the basis of section 38 of Planning Act).
NAMA should be looking around the country for where they can maximise investment into locations that would collectively support new infrastructure. Particularly water supply, and waste water. Infrastructure of this nature, and the capacities available, ultimately dictate where investment should go. This investment needs to be aligned with planning strategies, so that infrastructure goes where it is needed, and the pipes follow the strategic plan and not the other way around.
Friday, June 25, 2010
10 things planning should do:9
Manage the message
The towns that will succeed are the ones where businesses understand that they are collectively dependent on the place they make their living from. A business makes money because of the qualities of a town, and vice versa. Towns need to managed autonomously and collectively to sell and promote the place. Most traditional towns have inherent qualities, so it doesn’t need to be made up, but they do need to step up.
Managing the message means that you can't let a single retailer, business or a mall take ownership of marketing the town. It also means controlling the hyperbole/delusion. Its not enough to say great things about a place - without taking real steps or investments that make the statements reality. It happens too often that the stuff on websites and in corporate documents fall apart the minute you drie into town, or walk down its main street.
The towns that will succeed are the ones where businesses understand that they are collectively dependent on the place they make their living from. A business makes money because of the qualities of a town, and vice versa. Towns need to managed autonomously and collectively to sell and promote the place. Most traditional towns have inherent qualities, so it doesn’t need to be made up, but they do need to step up.
Managing the message means that you can't let a single retailer, business or a mall take ownership of marketing the town. It also means controlling the hyperbole/delusion. Its not enough to say great things about a place - without taking real steps or investments that make the statements reality. It happens too often that the stuff on websites and in corporate documents fall apart the minute you drie into town, or walk down its main street.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Limerick Regeneration smokescreen
Housing Minister Finneran announces Limerick Regeneration to press ahead http://bit.ly/91nDqx, totalling about €336m being devoted to various projects.
However, the first item in the budget http://bit.ly/cb7tP8 is a ring road with a cost of €43m for the Coonagh to Knockalisheen Distributor Road (which is a strategic road for the city), the next item is €7m for an Access Road from the Southern Ring Road (ramps etc.) and then €5m for Childers Road (part of a €10m road project). So thats €55m down on roads - good start for a regeneration project! Enabling works + demolition come to €41.6m. And theres another €10m for land purchases. So a figure of €230m up to Dec 2014 (approx. €58m pa) is a slightly more honest figure. But still a hell of a lot of money. Probably enough to build around 2,500 to 3,000 residential units. They're building/refurbishing something of the order of 735 to 800. But they are building schools & community facilities. A civic hub grouping of buildings is put at €32m
The road building is Dept. of Transport funded, & nothing to do with the regen project, but the job creation, and economic benefit (tax income etc) of building these roads is included in the overall economic analysis. Funding of €6.5m for a sports facility includes PPP and 'scope for philanthropic' contributions. The figures are misleading.
Not sure how CEO Brendan Kenny considers this will be a catalyst for Limerick City and Region, and create a Green Economic Hub. This is a project that does not invest in Limerick city, but seeks to maintain segregated suburbs. It doesn't bring any new population into Limerick city. It builds a ring-road that helps the suburbanites drive around the city. Its re-engineering the social engineering.
The Masterplan for the regeneration of the Limerick periphery doesn't address the obvious. Why are we doing this? The suburbs failed in these situations. Are profesional egos so great to keep experimenting to try and get it right this time around? The current economic depression is an opportunity to shelve the masterplan, and invest the money in the city, supporting its mix of uses, plurality of tenures and economic profiles, and support a truly green city based on sustainable transport.
ARe we not allowed to be critical of this, as its all proosed under the label of regeneration?
However, the first item in the budget http://bit.ly/cb7tP8 is a ring road with a cost of €43m for the Coonagh to Knockalisheen Distributor Road (which is a strategic road for the city), the next item is €7m for an Access Road from the Southern Ring Road (ramps etc.) and then €5m for Childers Road (part of a €10m road project). So thats €55m down on roads - good start for a regeneration project! Enabling works + demolition come to €41.6m. And theres another €10m for land purchases. So a figure of €230m up to Dec 2014 (approx. €58m pa) is a slightly more honest figure. But still a hell of a lot of money. Probably enough to build around 2,500 to 3,000 residential units. They're building/refurbishing something of the order of 735 to 800. But they are building schools & community facilities. A civic hub grouping of buildings is put at €32m
The road building is Dept. of Transport funded, & nothing to do with the regen project, but the job creation, and economic benefit (tax income etc) of building these roads is included in the overall economic analysis. Funding of €6.5m for a sports facility includes PPP and 'scope for philanthropic' contributions. The figures are misleading.
Not sure how CEO Brendan Kenny considers this will be a catalyst for Limerick City and Region, and create a Green Economic Hub. This is a project that does not invest in Limerick city, but seeks to maintain segregated suburbs. It doesn't bring any new population into Limerick city. It builds a ring-road that helps the suburbanites drive around the city. Its re-engineering the social engineering.
The Masterplan for the regeneration of the Limerick periphery doesn't address the obvious. Why are we doing this? The suburbs failed in these situations. Are profesional egos so great to keep experimenting to try and get it right this time around? The current economic depression is an opportunity to shelve the masterplan, and invest the money in the city, supporting its mix of uses, plurality of tenures and economic profiles, and support a truly green city based on sustainable transport.
ARe we not allowed to be critical of this, as its all proosed under the label of regeneration?
10 things planning should do:8
Don’t plan to solve traffic congestion
Cities and towns have a certain amount of space, and we make choices as to who gets to use that space. Wider pavements means more space for pedestrians, street cafes/vendors. Buses want bus lanes, cyclists want cycle lanes, and people want to be able to drive their car from beside their bed to their destination (paraphrasing M. Garrido). Traffic congestion is a symptom of this competition for space, and trying to solve traffic is a one way ticket to nowhere-surburbs, designed by road engineers. So priorities have to be set for that ‘space’ between buildings (the ‘ways’ and ‘interways’ as Cerda called them). Its not something that can be solved by segregating or bypassing the town, because that deprives users other than the cars of the new ‘urban ways’. Rather, expand the network of streets, and reduce the blockages (L. Krier) so that everyone can benefit from the investment, and good streets can be created.
Cities and towns have a certain amount of space, and we make choices as to who gets to use that space. Wider pavements means more space for pedestrians, street cafes/vendors. Buses want bus lanes, cyclists want cycle lanes, and people want to be able to drive their car from beside their bed to their destination (paraphrasing M. Garrido). Traffic congestion is a symptom of this competition for space, and trying to solve traffic is a one way ticket to nowhere-surburbs, designed by road engineers. So priorities have to be set for that ‘space’ between buildings (the ‘ways’ and ‘interways’ as Cerda called them). Its not something that can be solved by segregating or bypassing the town, because that deprives users other than the cars of the new ‘urban ways’. Rather, expand the network of streets, and reduce the blockages (L. Krier) so that everyone can benefit from the investment, and good streets can be created.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
10 Things planning should do: 7
Only set objectives in a plan that can be followed by direct action
The core objective of a plan should be clearly understood, and achievable through a set of direct actions or measures - it should not be a result of trickle-down effect.
If a planning authority has a core objective to improve a town centre, there are measures to achieve this i.e. town centre management, environmental improvements, increase population, promote business districts.. and then stopping things happening in suburbs in competition to this.
What has tended to happen, particularly in the tiger years, is that these improvements are expected to happen by osmosis. By this logic a new shopping centre on the edge of town, or even in the town centre, will improve everything else around it, simply because it is there. A new business park will be good for the town .... because brings people/business to the general vicinity of the town.. suburban populations will support the town centre. It hasn't turned out like that.
Its the same for tax incentive sites - the hope that the redevelopment of one site is going to solve all the other problems. This is great for a developer, as they can promise a town the earth to get an uber scheme through, but it also makes a place dependent on the something that may not be the right solution. So if a town is to be made a better place (and if anybody cares) by creating a new pocket park – well, make that the first priority to make it happen, not the last. Investment is a follower not an instigator... retail follows footfall... people want to go to nice places... nice places need to be created, realised, enhanced & cared for..
This was all highlighted in the paper yesterday again, concerning regeneration projects in Limerick. The fact that they want to demolish and rebuild a failed suburb, is hailed as being good for Limerick City. Its not! Limerick City centre is emptying at a rate of knots - the regeneration project is a hopeless waste of money for the city. If they are serious about doing anything for Limerick, they would bring the people back to the city - away from social, physical and economic segregation.
As highlighted in recent ECTP awards, the European Planning tradition is particularly good as setting key objectives as the vision for the plan - where everything else follows - i.e. addressing the river, building bridges, the sustainable town.. They don't do the business school vision statement, brought to Ireland by the UK consultants i.e. "this is a vibrant, safe, clean place that people love to spend their time drinking coffee outdoors in". One is a plan - the other is symptom!
The core objective of a plan should be clearly understood, and achievable through a set of direct actions or measures - it should not be a result of trickle-down effect.
If a planning authority has a core objective to improve a town centre, there are measures to achieve this i.e. town centre management, environmental improvements, increase population, promote business districts.. and then stopping things happening in suburbs in competition to this.
What has tended to happen, particularly in the tiger years, is that these improvements are expected to happen by osmosis. By this logic a new shopping centre on the edge of town, or even in the town centre, will improve everything else around it, simply because it is there. A new business park will be good for the town .... because brings people/business to the general vicinity of the town.. suburban populations will support the town centre. It hasn't turned out like that.
Its the same for tax incentive sites - the hope that the redevelopment of one site is going to solve all the other problems. This is great for a developer, as they can promise a town the earth to get an uber scheme through, but it also makes a place dependent on the something that may not be the right solution. So if a town is to be made a better place (and if anybody cares) by creating a new pocket park – well, make that the first priority to make it happen, not the last. Investment is a follower not an instigator... retail follows footfall... people want to go to nice places... nice places need to be created, realised, enhanced & cared for..
This was all highlighted in the paper yesterday again, concerning regeneration projects in Limerick. The fact that they want to demolish and rebuild a failed suburb, is hailed as being good for Limerick City. Its not! Limerick City centre is emptying at a rate of knots - the regeneration project is a hopeless waste of money for the city. If they are serious about doing anything for Limerick, they would bring the people back to the city - away from social, physical and economic segregation.
As highlighted in recent ECTP awards, the European Planning tradition is particularly good as setting key objectives as the vision for the plan - where everything else follows - i.e. addressing the river, building bridges, the sustainable town.. They don't do the business school vision statement, brought to Ireland by the UK consultants i.e. "this is a vibrant, safe, clean place that people love to spend their time drinking coffee outdoors in". One is a plan - the other is symptom!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
10 things planning should do:6
Plant street trees
This is so important and fundamental to successful urban places, but it seems to have been forgotten about, or only ever addressed in expensive urban landscaping schemes or as part of road schemes (under Pt. 8 of Planning Regulations). Street trees are easy and cheap to achieve and can have a transformative effect on places. They are also much more beautiful than expensive steel street furniture. It should be an objective of every authority to have an ongoing programme of planting and replacing of trees. Street trees also serve the purpose of segregating traffic from pedestrian and parked cars, and no street is too wide if broken up by boulevard planting (see the wonderful Boulevard Book by Allan B. Jacobs et al).
This is so important and fundamental to successful urban places, but it seems to have been forgotten about, or only ever addressed in expensive urban landscaping schemes or as part of road schemes (under Pt. 8 of Planning Regulations). Street trees are easy and cheap to achieve and can have a transformative effect on places. They are also much more beautiful than expensive steel street furniture. It should be an objective of every authority to have an ongoing programme of planting and replacing of trees. Street trees also serve the purpose of segregating traffic from pedestrian and parked cars, and no street is too wide if broken up by boulevard planting (see the wonderful Boulevard Book by Allan B. Jacobs et al).
Monday, June 21, 2010
10 things planning should do: 5
Make towns more attractive than suburbs/rural living-
People must want to live in towns; unloved & dismantled by modernist planning, architecture and engineering. We’ve taken out the retail, housing and businesses, and flung them out to the suburbs in their own little pods. We’re a suburban nation, every bit as much as the US (Duany et al). We need to reassemble the town, and fundamental to that is to keep people living there, and re-populating the centres. For this to happen the centre has to be more attractive, and present better and wider opportunities than the suburban equivalent.
Sustainable urbanism must be at the heart of urban renewal, adaption and innovation. The historic fabric is an asset that denotes identity and character, just as established communities represent continuity and social fabric and local economies. During the tiger years continuity and respect for the fabric, was replaced with faith in the zeigteist. The economics of development of individual plots can stand up again. The only situation where comphrehensive redevelopment can be justified is when the public gain through new streets and parks can be achieved.
Local authorities need to undertake thorough reviews of their budgets to examine geographically where they are spending public money and who is benefiting. Look at most main-streets - is there a cent being spent? Quality housing + attractive residential streets, business districts (not parks) and retail streets = walkable towns + neighbourhoods = good towns = sustainable urbanism
People must want to live in towns; unloved & dismantled by modernist planning, architecture and engineering. We’ve taken out the retail, housing and businesses, and flung them out to the suburbs in their own little pods. We’re a suburban nation, every bit as much as the US (Duany et al). We need to reassemble the town, and fundamental to that is to keep people living there, and re-populating the centres. For this to happen the centre has to be more attractive, and present better and wider opportunities than the suburban equivalent.
Sustainable urbanism must be at the heart of urban renewal, adaption and innovation. The historic fabric is an asset that denotes identity and character, just as established communities represent continuity and social fabric and local economies. During the tiger years continuity and respect for the fabric, was replaced with faith in the zeigteist. The economics of development of individual plots can stand up again. The only situation where comphrehensive redevelopment can be justified is when the public gain through new streets and parks can be achieved.
Local authorities need to undertake thorough reviews of their budgets to examine geographically where they are spending public money and who is benefiting. Look at most main-streets - is there a cent being spent? Quality housing + attractive residential streets, business districts (not parks) and retail streets = walkable towns + neighbourhoods = good towns = sustainable urbanism
Friday, June 18, 2010
10 things planning should do: 4
Stop using mono-use zoning.
The first schedule of the 2000 Planning Act contains a host of regulatory instruments that which can be used as objectives in a development plan. This includes layout of areas or structures, design, colour materials, floor areas, coverage, set-back and height. All the tools are there, but too many authorities don’t attempt to utilise them. Too often parking-space requirements and open space are used as controls. Plans should be used as opportunities design streets, perimeter blocks, and use design codes to guide the appearance of buildings. Great care needs to be given to the smallest detail, and zoning doesn’t fit the bill.
The first schedule of the 2000 Planning Act contains a host of regulatory instruments that which can be used as objectives in a development plan. This includes layout of areas or structures, design, colour materials, floor areas, coverage, set-back and height. All the tools are there, but too many authorities don’t attempt to utilise them. Too often parking-space requirements and open space are used as controls. Plans should be used as opportunities design streets, perimeter blocks, and use design codes to guide the appearance of buildings. Great care needs to be given to the smallest detail, and zoning doesn’t fit the bill.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
10 things planning should do:3
Manage the town as a priority
Planning Authorities’ primary task is 'development management' or development control as it used to be called. However, this is only managing the changes that other people want to make. Town management should be the priority, and resources reallocated to this task. This is not necessarily making local plans or master plans but focuses on implementation and making things happen. If it is the vision of a local authority to make a town better (vitality, viability etc) then they have to do things to make it happen. Approaches include Town Centre Managment Partnerships, Business Improvement Districts, Tax Incentive Financing, Local Development Vehicles etc, extaordinary temporal rate increases, or just shaking up budgets to redirect expenditure.
Planning Authorities’ primary task is 'development management' or development control as it used to be called. However, this is only managing the changes that other people want to make. Town management should be the priority, and resources reallocated to this task. This is not necessarily making local plans or master plans but focuses on implementation and making things happen. If it is the vision of a local authority to make a town better (vitality, viability etc) then they have to do things to make it happen. Approaches include Town Centre Managment Partnerships, Business Improvement Districts, Tax Incentive Financing, Local Development Vehicles etc, extaordinary temporal rate increases, or just shaking up budgets to redirect expenditure.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
10 things planning should do: 2
Be proactive:
Local Authorities and in particular County Managers need to set the tone for planning and development. We're not talking about the fancy introduction to the developement plan; but the things they say and do - corporate strategies - and strategic messages that affect every action of the institution. Most thinking is about 20 years out of date, and when they do talk about sustainability or the latest buzz – ‘smart planning’ , its linguistic delusion but little else. An organisation doesn't become 'smart' by giving a new label to the things it does and always has done. What County Manager has come out and said they want to have the most cycle lanes per person in the EU in their town, or that they want to dedicate their town centre to pedestrians, or that they won’t consider any new hypermarkets or business parks on the edge of town? Who is saying we must take the lead in reassembling the town? We need to raise the bar, be ahead of the curve, and lead!
Local Authorities and in particular County Managers need to set the tone for planning and development. We're not talking about the fancy introduction to the developement plan; but the things they say and do - corporate strategies - and strategic messages that affect every action of the institution. Most thinking is about 20 years out of date, and when they do talk about sustainability or the latest buzz – ‘smart planning’ , its linguistic delusion but little else. An organisation doesn't become 'smart' by giving a new label to the things it does and always has done. What County Manager has come out and said they want to have the most cycle lanes per person in the EU in their town, or that they want to dedicate their town centre to pedestrians, or that they won’t consider any new hypermarkets or business parks on the edge of town? Who is saying we must take the lead in reassembling the town? We need to raise the bar, be ahead of the curve, and lead!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
10 things planning should do
I want to set down some thoughts on things we should be doing (particularly in Irish urban planning), to contribute more effectively, and have a positive effect on urban environments through our actions. Over next 10 days I'm going to list the 10 things planning should do, according to me. Some may be obvious, some disagreeable, but would appreciate any feedback. Here we go:
1.Deal with the present
-‘Now is the time to plan for the future’ (or words to such effect) is a well-worn motto of many a planning consultancy at the moment. How fortunate for these experts to have such foresight, and know what lies ahead! (credit to David Engwicht here) Planners (‘the profession’) can’t be blamed for looking toward the next economic upturn, because the previous period has been so kind. However, those halcyon days are gone, and we need fresh approaches to deal with the crisis.
-What development plan faces the challenges of the next 1 to 5 years, not the next 20? Development Plans are increasingly becoming monolithic documents, conceived in red tape, where any life support for innovation or creativity, is sucked out in the course of the arduous process of getting them adopted. So, what are we doing now ... about now? How do we encourage investment, innovation, improvements, autonomy + the economy.
-We have to stop pretending this can be put on the long-finger. We have to take responsibility for making things happen, and make the system work – not work the system.
1.Deal with the present
-‘Now is the time to plan for the future’ (or words to such effect) is a well-worn motto of many a planning consultancy at the moment. How fortunate for these experts to have such foresight, and know what lies ahead! (credit to David Engwicht here) Planners (‘the profession’) can’t be blamed for looking toward the next economic upturn, because the previous period has been so kind. However, those halcyon days are gone, and we need fresh approaches to deal with the crisis.
-What development plan faces the challenges of the next 1 to 5 years, not the next 20? Development Plans are increasingly becoming monolithic documents, conceived in red tape, where any life support for innovation or creativity, is sucked out in the course of the arduous process of getting them adopted. So, what are we doing now ... about now? How do we encourage investment, innovation, improvements, autonomy + the economy.
-We have to stop pretending this can be put on the long-finger. We have to take responsibility for making things happen, and make the system work – not work the system.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
National Spatial Strategy ignored?
Further proof that I occasionally read newspapers. The good folk of the DoEHLG were in with an Oireachtas Cttee telling them .. well more bad news, with the publication of the National Spatial Strategy Update and Outlook Report (which doesn't seem to be available online?!).
Certain bodies have been ignoring the spatial strategy. http://tinyurl.com/3xzlzpf Never mind Fianna Fail decentralisation (locate government departments in FF constituency policy) or rural housing guidelines instigated under then minister for Environment, Dick Roche. The report also highlights depopulation of urban areas (ie central Cork or Limerick). So all in all, we have a good policy framework (whatever Skeehan says), there is a system out there with no interest in doing things properly. So step to recovery #1 - do what the plans say they're going to do in the fancy introduction...
Certain bodies have been ignoring the spatial strategy. http://tinyurl.com/3xzlzpf Never mind Fianna Fail decentralisation (locate government departments in FF constituency policy) or rural housing guidelines instigated under then minister for Environment, Dick Roche. The report also highlights depopulation of urban areas (ie central Cork or Limerick). So all in all, we have a good policy framework (whatever Skeehan says), there is a system out there with no interest in doing things properly. So step to recovery #1 - do what the plans say they're going to do in the fancy introduction...
Bray developers lucky their Permission was delayed
An Bord Pleanala finally granted permission for the expansion of the town of Bray in a 60,000 sq.m. scheme. http://tinyurl.com/2g2w6mk. Pizarro Development must be thanking their lucky stars they didn't get a timely decision, and weren't on-site when the recession hit. The scheme as granted will never be built, and planning law does not offer a simple means of phasing such a scheme reprospectively. A planning permission is indivisible, and its illegal to develop on an a-la-carte basis unless specifically applied for.
Furthermore, the typcial Celtic-Tiger uber scheme is extremely difficult to break up into phases. Basement car parking covering several building blocks with shared foundations do not readily lend themselves to incremental schemes. The design of the uber scheme was comprehensive (urban design by architects)- big finance, big engineering, big architecture and all in one go.
This isn't going to happen any time soon. The answer is to break the scheme up, provide a robust infrastructure for all eventualities, and adopt an urban design code that will guide development for 10 to 20 years.
Nama has many, many problems, but one of them is even with recent planning permissions - alot of them arn't useful and shouldn't be developed. While they will have power to extend the life of permissions on economic grounds - you really have to wonder what the point is.
Furthermore, the typcial Celtic-Tiger uber scheme is extremely difficult to break up into phases. Basement car parking covering several building blocks with shared foundations do not readily lend themselves to incremental schemes. The design of the uber scheme was comprehensive (urban design by architects)- big finance, big engineering, big architecture and all in one go.
This isn't going to happen any time soon. The answer is to break the scheme up, provide a robust infrastructure for all eventualities, and adopt an urban design code that will guide development for 10 to 20 years.
Nama has many, many problems, but one of them is even with recent planning permissions - alot of them arn't useful and shouldn't be developed. While they will have power to extend the life of permissions on economic grounds - you really have to wonder what the point is.
Dunnes boost for Main Street
Dunnes Stores have been granted permission by An Bord Pleanala to revamp their DunLaoghaire store http://tinyurl.com/28qm4y5 The scheme provides for some 5,440sq.m. of retail space. This is a big space. It shows that high street units can be adpated, and redeveloped where the landlord is willing to be proactive and create the right sort of space. Development of this nature is important in that it counters typcial arguments that modern retail formats cannot be facilitated in town centres. I sense a future post on the Sequential Test...
Strategic Infrastructure Act in tatters?
A big decision from An Bord Plenala as reported in Irish Times today http://tinyurl.com/39y2kmb. The Board have refused permission for a 50 acre expansion of Dublin Port and to add insult to injury have a look at the appendix to the decision! They're awarded costs of approx. €100k to themselves (on top of the €100k planning fee) and awared €9K each to the opposing groups. This is of course on top of the 100s of thousands the applicant will have spent on design and consultancy fees. The 2006 Strategic Infrastructure Act was designed to streamline and fastrack projects of national importance. So on a day when enquiries into the irish banking crisis round on the house of cards created around development speculation, a real project facilitating trade, construction jobs and investment is given the KO on the basis that the applicant did not “adequately establish that the proposal would not adversely affect both the integrity of this SPA and the natural heritage of Dublin Bay”. The decision does not even conclude that there would be a adverse impact. Just imagine this happening in Europort,NL? So how will we get Strategic Infrastructure for future Energy, Transport, communications,renewable power (something on the scale of the Spirit of Ireland project), that need to be the backbone of economic recovery? It seems that the Strategic Infrastructure Act isn't part of the equation.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Begin each day by telling yourself: Today I shall be meeting with interference, ingratitude, insolence, disloyalty, ill-will, and selfishness - all of them due to the offenders' ignorance of what is good or evil. But for my part I have long perceived the nature of good and its nobility, the nature of evil and its meanness, and also the nature of the culprit himself, who is my brother (not in the physical sense, but as a fellow-creature similarly endowed with reason and a share of the divine); therefore none of those things can injure me.
- Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180)
- Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180)
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
The Vision Statement
I have issues... with the Vision Statement. It is the ubiquitous section of the Development or Local Area Plan where the planner utilises the time machine to construct a series of bullet points in the present tense, of the wonderful place the world turned out to be after all. I've written a few myself.
As far as I know, in Ireland, its something that we imported from UK planning consultants, which imported the thinking from business school mumbo jumbo.
The problem is that it typifies a focus on strategic level thinking that ignores the nitty gritty. It is the equivalent of the powerpoint slide of a nice street in Holland, which by virtue of existng as an image will transmutate into action on the ground. It doesn't.
I presume most people don't want their town to be a dowdy, unpopular, dangerous place where nobody wants to go; so do really need an visioning exercise to confirm this.
Following on the theme of autonomous action, and bottom-up planning, people do know what is needed or the gaps in society, economy and the built fabric. Where planning has a capacity to address that need, thats where the focus of plan should be. A planning authority isn't in the coffee shop businees (this is a symtom of good planning as car/ bus choked streets are a symtom of less than optimum planning) but it can influence the fabric and infrastructure of the town that attract people or not.
The question is what actions will be effected to encourage change to happen. If the vision can't be achieved, for whatever reason (recession, funding, talent, road engineers)why include misleading statements at the core of a plan? Are development plans the place for spin?
As far as I know, in Ireland, its something that we imported from UK planning consultants, which imported the thinking from business school mumbo jumbo.
The problem is that it typifies a focus on strategic level thinking that ignores the nitty gritty. It is the equivalent of the powerpoint slide of a nice street in Holland, which by virtue of existng as an image will transmutate into action on the ground. It doesn't.
I presume most people don't want their town to be a dowdy, unpopular, dangerous place where nobody wants to go; so do really need an visioning exercise to confirm this.
Following on the theme of autonomous action, and bottom-up planning, people do know what is needed or the gaps in society, economy and the built fabric. Where planning has a capacity to address that need, thats where the focus of plan should be. A planning authority isn't in the coffee shop businees (this is a symtom of good planning as car/ bus choked streets are a symtom of less than optimum planning) but it can influence the fabric and infrastructure of the town that attract people or not.
The question is what actions will be effected to encourage change to happen. If the vision can't be achieved, for whatever reason (recession, funding, talent, road engineers)why include misleading statements at the core of a plan? Are development plans the place for spin?
Thursday, April 22, 2010
The costs of congestion
Streets Blog has reported on the report that New York City residents save at least $19 billion each year by driving less than other Americans http://bit.ly/b7AByO. The Report is by CEOs for cities at http://bit.ly/bAlH0g.
This is really interesting because it puts a cost on not doing things. For example the average New Yorker drives on average 9 miles a day instead of the American Average of 25. This equals a saving of €48 billion. Petrol saved = €2.4bn. These are staggering figures.
This is the type of analysis we need to make sensible decisions about cities and transport. Various associations can we quickly tell us about the costs of a traffic jam, but they equate this to a need to address that problem through good infrastructure.
This is particularly important for light rail/metro vs. bus arguments. This was highlighted at the Irish Planning Institute conference last week with regard to transport options for Belfast. The only figures presented are those of infrastructure cost. The bus is cheaper - go figure. But how many people does a bus get out of their cars, what is the cost of reserving that bus lane? Buses have very low capacity, and get stuck behing each other at bus stops. What about image and environment, and city competitiveness. Quality Bus Corridors are a great improvement, but the service is still a longway off rail.
If city streets are viewed as an asset, buses get to use that asset for a very low/ unquantified cost. In Dublin we have so many buses on street that I think they're having a negative impact on the main city thoroughfares.
This is really interesting because it puts a cost on not doing things. For example the average New Yorker drives on average 9 miles a day instead of the American Average of 25. This equals a saving of €48 billion. Petrol saved = €2.4bn. These are staggering figures.
This is the type of analysis we need to make sensible decisions about cities and transport. Various associations can we quickly tell us about the costs of a traffic jam, but they equate this to a need to address that problem through good infrastructure.
This is particularly important for light rail/metro vs. bus arguments. This was highlighted at the Irish Planning Institute conference last week with regard to transport options for Belfast. The only figures presented are those of infrastructure cost. The bus is cheaper - go figure. But how many people does a bus get out of their cars, what is the cost of reserving that bus lane? Buses have very low capacity, and get stuck behing each other at bus stops. What about image and environment, and city competitiveness. Quality Bus Corridors are a great improvement, but the service is still a longway off rail.
If city streets are viewed as an asset, buses get to use that asset for a very low/ unquantified cost. In Dublin we have so many buses on street that I think they're having a negative impact on the main city thoroughfares.
New Rail Station-Clongriffen, Dublin
Its great Minister Dempsey has just opened a new DART station at Balgriffen http://bit.ly/cCQ6MQ paid for by Gannon Homes, in turn paid for by NAMA in turn paid for by tax payer (isn't public private partnership great!). However, how on earth did this thing cost €22m. It ain't exactly Penn Station!
Monday, April 12, 2010
I'm throwing my arms around Paris
..as Morissey put is so eloquently in the superb 'Years of Refusal'. I was fortunate enough to visit the city over the last few days with my family. No sense of recession here. The unrelenting beauty of Paris as an urban place is quite humbling, and for all other places a lesson. The quality of the place is not only a reflection of wealth, but it also clearly endemic to the sustainable urbanism and the maintenance of that wealth. How to even express it? Hundred's of year of looking after a precious place, looking after every detail, keep people living there. The showy stuff like the Eiffel Tower (read Guggenheim Bilbao) and the palaces are nothing without the background streets. Everything that we need to learn about urbanism already exists, and has been tried and tested...and its living. Of course sitting on the RER out to Disneyland there's many sides to Paris, and not everyone enjoys the privileges of living in the centre. btw. the people were lovely.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Would you put a bus route through a shopping mall?
There are 2 designated Major Town Centres in the local authority area of DunLaoghaire Rathdown County Council, Dundrum Town Centre (an enclosed regional scale shopping centre) and DunLaoghaire - a traditional town centre with a main street. Both have rail links to Dublin City Centre. But only one has the joy of a 20 tonne bus zoomin down the middle at 30 miles an hour every 10 minutes. One of these centres is increasing rents by 100% in the middle of a depression, the other is on its knees. Clearly theres many factors why DunLaoghaire is suffering, but this has got to be a factor. If you don't put customers first (as they do in a shopping mall), and even worse, make the place dangerous and uncomfortable to walk around(despite wasting a fortune on expensive paving) its no wonder the place suffers. When I talk to retailers, they always say that parking is the problem, but cars don't walk into shops.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The Retail Squeeze
Retail Excellence Ireland has drawn attention to the damage being done to commercial business by institutional investors, particularly on the High Street.
The group highlight (http://bit.ly/bVOfvg) that Rent levels in the Irish commercial property market are now more than double the global average. Without downward movement in rent, they state that the industry will move from a “full serve” model to a “self-serve” model, and a further 40,000 jobs will be lost (additional to the 35,000 lost in 2009).
They highlight a group of institutional landlords including several who are being looked after by the state in NAMA with whom they are tactfully seeking "closer co-operation" as reported in today's Irish Times: http://bit.ly/bNVx4z from @the_irish_times
Their capacity to make any progress with policians in the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment today is much more important to the health and vitality of town centres than any number of policy documents or assessments. This is at the heart of the "Dalkey Dilemma" as previously noted.
The group highlight (http://bit.ly/bVOfvg) that Rent levels in the Irish commercial property market are now more than double the global average. Without downward movement in rent, they state that the industry will move from a “full serve” model to a “self-serve” model, and a further 40,000 jobs will be lost (additional to the 35,000 lost in 2009).
They highlight a group of institutional landlords including several who are being looked after by the state in NAMA with whom they are tactfully seeking "closer co-operation" as reported in today's Irish Times: http://bit.ly/bNVx4z from @the_irish_times
Their capacity to make any progress with policians in the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment today is much more important to the health and vitality of town centres than any number of policy documents or assessments. This is at the heart of the "Dalkey Dilemma" as previously noted.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Ordinary Places
CABE's lastest publication, Ordinary Places says a 'Smart' thing: "We have a serious problem with the quality of most ordinary streets. Streets determine how places feel,
yet cars still dominate. To civilise them, streets need to be designed first and foremost as places in themselves, prioritising the needs of disabled people,pedestrians and carers with pushchairs, and cyclists, above the motorist. This frees councils to remove clutter such as unnecessary signage and guardrails.
Once sights are raised, streets can start to reflect local identity".
They call this 'Sparking the Debate', and then proclaim the need to teach people visual literacy.
Excuse me, but who did the ******* designing in the first place? Was it 'Ordinary' people or the people trained in visual literacy? If post-war development is anything to go by, training in 'visual-literacy' isn't necessarily an asset.
The pamphlet is described as "a starting point for debate about creating the culture and conditions to help ordinary places to become valued and valuable".
Its 2010, why are we at a starting point? Jane Jacobs pointed this all out over 40 years ago.
CABE goes on to say "It asks how people can directly influence the quality of their places? Why don’t all pupils learn about design, to help make sense of the places around them?"
Another question must be, why should normal people have to give up time from their busy lives to tell professional designers how to do their job for them?
Jane Jacobs pointed the finger firmly at the professional planners, architects and traffic engineers and challenged them to recognise the value of ordinary, messy, mixed use places, which the quantitative models couldn't and can't deal with.
Its entirely condescending and elitist to presume ordinary people need teaching a bit of visual literacy to improve the public spaces and public elevations they have no control over. Isn't this somebody elses job??
Recognising the value of ordinary places is really the only show in town now. Value in the ordinary comes from appreciation of the small humble things, and taking the time patience and care to do things well.. plot by plot..builidng by building etc.
yet cars still dominate. To civilise them, streets need to be designed first and foremost as places in themselves, prioritising the needs of disabled people,pedestrians and carers with pushchairs, and cyclists, above the motorist. This frees councils to remove clutter such as unnecessary signage and guardrails.
Once sights are raised, streets can start to reflect local identity".
They call this 'Sparking the Debate', and then proclaim the need to teach people visual literacy.
Excuse me, but who did the ******* designing in the first place? Was it 'Ordinary' people or the people trained in visual literacy? If post-war development is anything to go by, training in 'visual-literacy' isn't necessarily an asset.
The pamphlet is described as "a starting point for debate about creating the culture and conditions to help ordinary places to become valued and valuable".
Its 2010, why are we at a starting point? Jane Jacobs pointed this all out over 40 years ago.
CABE goes on to say "It asks how people can directly influence the quality of their places? Why don’t all pupils learn about design, to help make sense of the places around them?"
Another question must be, why should normal people have to give up time from their busy lives to tell professional designers how to do their job for them?
Jane Jacobs pointed the finger firmly at the professional planners, architects and traffic engineers and challenged them to recognise the value of ordinary, messy, mixed use places, which the quantitative models couldn't and can't deal with.
Its entirely condescending and elitist to presume ordinary people need teaching a bit of visual literacy to improve the public spaces and public elevations they have no control over. Isn't this somebody elses job??
Recognising the value of ordinary places is really the only show in town now. Value in the ordinary comes from appreciation of the small humble things, and taking the time patience and care to do things well.. plot by plot..builidng by building etc.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
The Dalkey Dilemma
David McWilliams has a genius for coining a phrase, so that whenever we talk about town centre retail we just need to call it the 'Dalkey Dilemma' from now on. He was talking on RTE Radio 1 today following his article in the Irish Independent http://bit.ly/bqntMm. Its very welcome that a high profile, media friendly figure can highlight this pressing crisis: - the death of the mainstreet. He is entirely right that the response needs to be grass route led. The people who need to be making decisions, are the ones whos livelihoods are on the line.
However, any response needs to be seriously organised, professional, and full-time. Traders don't have the time, and while have plenty of good ideas, they may not be the right ones, at a particular time, or geared to the particular challenges of of a village. DunLaoghaire Rathdown Co. Co. brings in millions of euro in commercial rates from Dundrum Shopping Centre, and Carrickmines Retail Park - the retail centres the Council permitted. This income needs to be reinvested in the traditional towns and villages - but the Council arn't the ones to do it alone. They need to set up autonomous BID companies/TCM partnerships which they heavily invest in, and start getting serious.
However, any response needs to be seriously organised, professional, and full-time. Traders don't have the time, and while have plenty of good ideas, they may not be the right ones, at a particular time, or geared to the particular challenges of of a village. DunLaoghaire Rathdown Co. Co. brings in millions of euro in commercial rates from Dundrum Shopping Centre, and Carrickmines Retail Park - the retail centres the Council permitted. This income needs to be reinvested in the traditional towns and villages - but the Council arn't the ones to do it alone. They need to set up autonomous BID companies/TCM partnerships which they heavily invest in, and start getting serious.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Marylebone High Street, London
Marylebone High Street http://bit.ly/rkpLp is so good, when you walk down it, that you think its just happened by itself. The eclectic mix of stores is so natural,that the street is a place and somewhere you want to meander a while. Its in such marked contrast to the hostility (no I dont understand the need for 20 different shoe shops) of the typical high street (Oxford Street is just around the corner). But then people who do the right thing over a long period of time rarely make the headlines.
The Howard de Walden Estate, is the main landlord in the area, and quite uniquely (as far as I know) take a long term view on the tenant mix of the street, not because they are philantropists or do goodie types (who cares!), but because it makes good business sense, because good business is creating good place that are sustainable places because they last and have a sense they'll last, and reassure you that in you're somewhere better than the suburban retail park. This example cannot be easily followed, but it shows what can be achieved. http://www.marylebonevillage.com/en/marylebone-village/..... Adapt and prosper.
Post note: Of course like any street in London, the traffic engineers really do their best to make a mess of it.. and put up as many people cages, poles, barriers, signposts as possible...
Doughnut Dublin
Dublin Chamber of Commerce provided an interesting view on city centre vacancy by saying we need more cars and parking spaces! They got national coverage on RTE on Monday for their submission to the Dublin City Plan http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0322/dublin.html This seems to ignore all evidence from city development of the last 50 years, where its been shown time and again that its people that are needed in city centres not cars!
This headline is a shame because their submission does say some sensible things (www.dubchamber.ie/Uploads/Development_Plan-Dublin_Chamber.pdf). They're right to focus on the importance of delivering public transport. The evidence from studies such as Jan Gehl's of Copenhagen (which the Council are well familiar with), is that you have to improve the quality of the city centre, make it more people friendly and get more people living there, and enjoying the city as the 3rd space. Dublin has hundreds of iconic buildings already; it doesn't need an iconic 'tall' building to define the city, no more than the 'Gherkin' says anything about London (of course an iconic building doesn't have to be tall either!). There is a lot of space to build a flourishing city without indiscriminate glass towers.
The most disappointing aspect of their submission is their lack of understanding as a representative commercial body of retail. The first thing they don't say is that institutional investors/landlords are killing the city's main shopping streets through greed.
Secondly they point to the sad Retail Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area statement that: “The reality is that most shoppers, especially families, do not have the luxury of daily shopping (as in other parts of Europe) and will do one or two big shopping trips per week, necessitating the use of private transport, especially in more rural areas and in urban areas where there is a lack of competitive foodstores.” This was presumably written by Tesco.
The answer to this question is not more supermarkets everywhere (as they suggest), but make daily shopping convenient, attractive and affordable, because this is one of the key elements that makes urban living advantageous and enjoyable. I could go on......
This headline is a shame because their submission does say some sensible things (www.dubchamber.ie/Uploads/Development_Plan-Dublin_Chamber.pdf). They're right to focus on the importance of delivering public transport. The evidence from studies such as Jan Gehl's of Copenhagen (which the Council are well familiar with), is that you have to improve the quality of the city centre, make it more people friendly and get more people living there, and enjoying the city as the 3rd space. Dublin has hundreds of iconic buildings already; it doesn't need an iconic 'tall' building to define the city, no more than the 'Gherkin' says anything about London (of course an iconic building doesn't have to be tall either!). There is a lot of space to build a flourishing city without indiscriminate glass towers.
The most disappointing aspect of their submission is their lack of understanding as a representative commercial body of retail. The first thing they don't say is that institutional investors/landlords are killing the city's main shopping streets through greed.
Secondly they point to the sad Retail Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area statement that: “The reality is that most shoppers, especially families, do not have the luxury of daily shopping (as in other parts of Europe) and will do one or two big shopping trips per week, necessitating the use of private transport, especially in more rural areas and in urban areas where there is a lack of competitive foodstores.” This was presumably written by Tesco.
The answer to this question is not more supermarkets everywhere (as they suggest), but make daily shopping convenient, attractive and affordable, because this is one of the key elements that makes urban living advantageous and enjoyable. I could go on......
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Gulag #4 Sandyford Co. Dublin
When I was a student in Edinburgh many moons ago I read Alice Coleman's book Utopia on Trial, which castigated "utopian" planning and architectural thinking. This could be seen walking around socially deprived areas (as they were back then) such as Wester Hailes. Particular criticism was directed toward streets in the sky - deck access, and the security risk they posed. Today I walked around Sandyford, a former industrial estate being transformed as a new urban centre in DunLaoghaire Rathdown. And well, its just like a modernist housing project from 60s. James Sterling would be proud of these guys.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Limerick Regeneration Hits a wall
The Irish times reports today that "Limerick’s regeneration project is in jeopardy due to a scarcity of public funding and locals in the city’s most disadvantaged estates are becoming disillusioned". The funds referred amount to a staggering €3bn.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2010/0209/1224264025064.html
Talk about throwing good money after bad. What the regeneration agencies want to do is bulldoze down one new town project and replace with in another one, on the presumption that we're so much smarter now that we were 30 years ago (NAMA anyone?).
According to the issues paper for the Limerick City Plan 2010-2016, The City Plan 2004 expected the population of Limerick City and Suburbs would increase from 92,000 to between 97,000 and 101,000 by 2006. It was also expected that the population of the area within the City Boundary would rise to over 55,000. However,the population within the City Boundary fell from 54,000 to 52,000 and the population of the City and Suburbs rose to a little over 95,000 persons. i.e. in a very short period 6,000
persons left the City to elsewhere in the Region and very little of this migration
settled in the suburbs of Limerick City. In fact there was also net outmigration from
the City and suburbs of about 4,000 persons.
Somebody do the maths? They're want to spend €3bn rebuilding a failed new town,for a population of approx. 6,000 when 6,000 have just left the city centre? Just imagine what half of €3bn could achieve in terms of investment, jobs, and city confidence if invested in micro-schemes throughout the city of Limerick.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2010/0209/1224264025064.html
Talk about throwing good money after bad. What the regeneration agencies want to do is bulldoze down one new town project and replace with in another one, on the presumption that we're so much smarter now that we were 30 years ago (NAMA anyone?).
According to the issues paper for the Limerick City Plan 2010-2016, The City Plan 2004 expected the population of Limerick City and Suburbs would increase from 92,000 to between 97,000 and 101,000 by 2006. It was also expected that the population of the area within the City Boundary would rise to over 55,000. However,the population within the City Boundary fell from 54,000 to 52,000 and the population of the City and Suburbs rose to a little over 95,000 persons. i.e. in a very short period 6,000
persons left the City to elsewhere in the Region and very little of this migration
settled in the suburbs of Limerick City. In fact there was also net outmigration from
the City and suburbs of about 4,000 persons.
Somebody do the maths? They're want to spend €3bn rebuilding a failed new town,for a population of approx. 6,000 when 6,000 have just left the city centre? Just imagine what half of €3bn could achieve in terms of investment, jobs, and city confidence if invested in micro-schemes throughout the city of Limerick.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Design by example?
Everybody loves this picture of Borneo-Sporenburg in Amsterdam (particularly people writing masterplans and guidelines). Not least because its ideal to have access to a boat for climate change.
West8's masterplan achieved something unique in the rules and challenges placed on the architects for the individual units. Theres good and bad things about this.
1)Good: The masterplan provided a strict code within which architects could express their design skils. The design model was based on the grain of traditional row housing.
2)Good: It shows how architects obsession with form to provide visual variety, looses site of the importance of elevational detail. Whether the detail is traditional or modern, it is this level of thought and design that is profoundly human, and one which we can relate to.
3)Bad: This development is from 1993-1996. Despite being included in just about every guideline and urban design book since, I haven't seen anybody else copy the idea.
4)Bad: Most of us don't live facing water (for now)- getting the street facade right while less dramatic, is more important.
Theres something in the water......
The DoEHLG issued a new circular PSSP 1/10 on 5th January advising Local Authorities and An Bord Pleanala to implement the new EPA Code on septic tanks (Code of Practice
Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Systems Serving Single Houses (p.e. ≤ 10)). This has been undertaken in response to the European Court of Justice Ruling against Ireland C-188/08 on the implementation of Articles 4 and 8 of Council Directive 75/442/EEC.
This highlights that the planning system's abject failure to redress sporadic housing in rural areas, is potentially to be brought under control by alternative legal mechanisms. European environmental legislation is slowly but progressively adding a bit of bite to the issue. The Water Framework Directive and Environmental Liability Regulations provide a new dimension to rural development equation. However, County Councillors don't appear to care about the impact of bungalow blitz on ourcountryside and communities, so bit of extra nitrogen in the drinking water is hardly going to worry them.
Dick Roche's legacy as Minister for the Environment is nowhere better incapsulated than in the 2005 Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines. The above map from the 2008 EPA Annual Report highlights the impact of this policy, with 96,000 units granted permission between 2005 to 2007. This Guideline needs to be reviewed by Minister Gormley, and subject to Strategic Environmental Assessment.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
NAMA Board
The announcement of the Board for NAMA on 22nd of December gave a clear indication of the tone of the new superpower of Irish Development. Its composition is made up of civil servants, financiers and accountants. Any Planning input will only come in an advisory capacity. If not unexpected, it is highly disappointing. While all the Board members are no doubt highly capable and successful in their own fields of expertise, they are not qualified or experienced as a group or individually to manager or develop what will be one of Europe's largest property portfolios.
Frank Daly, is a former head of the Revenue Commissioners,, Eilish Finan is a former CFO of AIG Global Investments. Michael Connolly is a former member of Bank of Ireland senior management team. Peter Stewart is Managing Director of O’Donovan Stewart & Company – firm of chartered accountants, and Brian McEnery is senior partner in Horwath Bastow Charleton specialising in corporate finance and Corporate Recovery. And finally, Willie Soffe is Chairman of the Dublin Transportation Office and former County Manager of Fingal County Council.
Hopes that NAMA may represent an opportunity for a proactive pubic sector body to take a proactive role in development have not got off to a good start. We await with interest to see how planning advisors will be brought into the loop, and if they'll be from outside the DoEHLG/DTO.
Frank Daly, is a former head of the Revenue Commissioners,, Eilish Finan is a former CFO of AIG Global Investments. Michael Connolly is a former member of Bank of Ireland senior management team. Peter Stewart is Managing Director of O’Donovan Stewart & Company – firm of chartered accountants, and Brian McEnery is senior partner in Horwath Bastow Charleton specialising in corporate finance and Corporate Recovery. And finally, Willie Soffe is Chairman of the Dublin Transportation Office and former County Manager of Fingal County Council.
Hopes that NAMA may represent an opportunity for a proactive pubic sector body to take a proactive role in development have not got off to a good start. We await with interest to see how planning advisors will be brought into the loop, and if they'll be from outside the DoEHLG/DTO.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Life After Roundabouts
This blog has been set up as a forum for the discussion of town planning, urbanism and urban design issues in Ireland and further afield. Theres plenty of room in Ireland for an open forum for the discussion of urban development and the plethora of people and interests that this draws in. Fortunately, planning's track record in Ireland is not exactly perfect and so there is a lot to talk about. However, its one thing to sit back and point fingers, and its another to offer alternative solutions. And hopefully thats what this is about. Everything from the impact of climate change and environmental legislation, to urban regeneration, retail development and modernist architecture to the detailed design of streets is on the agenda.
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