05 Climate Change

Actions:

Community power generation should be encouraged in the city. Many of us have roofs that can optimise solar PV but it may not be cost effective in the current system to do this in isolation. It is more cost effective to carry this out collectively. City Council could facilitate a trial to be carried out in one neighbourhood and the learnings from this used to scale upwards city wide.
“De-paving” should be encouraged whether this is on public thoroughfares or on previously paved private land. All of the below would give access to nature in more locations that is currently possible. While an individual engaging in this action on its own might lead to minor improvements to local percolations rates, the instituting of a city-wide policy with incentives on a greater scale may allow for a meaningful engagement. Local community groups or residents could be asked to engage in some maintenance and planting. This would give ownership to locals and develop place-making.
1. On-street parking should be targeted as a de-paving opportunity, especially in areas identified lacking in greenery and are subject to surface flooding. These could be converted to a swale or rain garden. Areas where many do not have access to nearby green spaces or private gardens should be turned into parklets. Whilst a trial of a wooden parklet may be necessary; the ultimate goal should be to dig up the road surface under the parking spot and landscape it. This would allow for slower run-off through soil percolation, lower maintenance plantings, place-making and community building giving neighbourhoods/single streets more of a focal point. Specific car parking spots or other unused spaces could be chosen for their potential to aid with run-off, ie those that are in a dip close to a surface water flooding area. This should be done in collaboration with residents.
2. Private dwellings owners should be encouraged to de-pave. A specific neighbourhood could be trialled. Removing paving, disposal of waste, relaying soil and choosing appropriate plants and trees could be beyond the capacity & financial ability of many owners. Trialling in one small community would allow City Council to see its effectiveness and the possibilities of rolling it out to further areas. The chosen areas could have their work carried out collectively. The preparation work; removing paving/disposal and top soil laying could be provided by the city council funding. The cost of top soil and plants (raw materials) could be paid for by the property owner.
3. Local businesses could be encouraged to de-pave at their premises. Businesses could be encouraged to include such actions in their Community Social Responsibility actions and climate change/sustainability programmes.
Removing of gardens for parking should be discouraged and planning strictly enforced in the area as a means to reduce flooding in the city. If parking is granted it should be modest and some greening remain.
Green Roofs should be encouraged where appropriate. Again, these aid in the slowing down rain fall collection. Other local authorities already set out policies in this area. Green roofs are more expensive. Any incentives that are available through city council to encourage their use should be utilised. This may include holding information nights, webinars, “ask the experts” open nights or creating a local authority policy that sets out the benefits and shows the council’s willingness to entertain such structures in its planning department.
Create biodiversity corridors that crisscross the city with “stepping stones” where breaks must occur. These could be combined with the implementation of greenways and blueways.
City Buses switching away from old diesel engines
Data-Driven: City Council should fund a land use survey including a full tree survey of the city. Space allocated to surface parking should be a metric the city uses to show its success in reallocation and improvement of public space and liveability. Street Clutter should be included in the survey.
HGV Ban from within the inner ring roads (northside imagined at present) as suggested in the CMATS but fully implemented. A timeline for moving away from HGV transport in the city should be implemented to aid businesses to adapt. Bin collection companies should move to truck models that give the driver higher levels of vision. Some bin collection companies in Cork have already begun to switch to these models.

Electric last mile delivery should be encouraged. The use of e-cargobikes should be encouraged for the new city centre area as per issues paper as over this distance and density e-cargobikes are more efficient, take up less space, cause less damage road surfaces and are less likely to cause path obstructions from illegal parking.

Cork City Development Plan 2022 - 2028 Stage 1: Pre-plan Consultation Issues Paper - Aighneachtaí

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