Holistic and connected placemaking and transport mobility will be key to ensuring Cork remains a competitive and quality of life oriented location for talent and investment. As Ireland’s second City, Cork also has a hugely significant role to play in the climate resilience of the country. The areas where Cork can make visible and globally noteworthy progress are in its built and mobility fabric and by enabling its natural energy resources and renewable energy production capacity. Quality of life, economic, resilience and sustainability are as one.
Placemaking is a central focus of this plan and it will be an essential part of building resilience into the future as our public spaces are reimagined and a strong connection is established between them and the local community.
Cork Chamber supports the plan’s objective to deliver sustainable residential development with an emphasis on the promotion of a mix of land uses to minimise transport demand. This will be facilitative of the ’15 minute city’ concept and will help to reduce the amount of single use vehicles and daily commute times.
The dwelling size mix requirement is an objective that is also to be welcomed as it will cater for different types of households. Under the plans purpose-built student accommodation schemes will be exempt from dwelling size mix targets and this is appropriate to facilitate the growth of both UCC and MTU.
The plan focuses on high quality residential developments with factors such as daylight, sunlight, overshadowing and private amenity space for houses taken into account. It is vital that any new builds are aesthetically appealing as well as fit for purpose. This will increase the attraction of the city as a place to live and work which will increase the available talent pool.
Cork Chamber would take this opportunity to call for a greater focus on above-shop living. There is currently a great deal of vacant space above shops in city centre buildings that could be used for accommodation purposes and could breathe new life into the city. The plan should support the concept of more facilitative standards for delivery such as reduced private open space, parking and unit size to facilitate the re-use of upper floors and the creation of additional homes. This urban fabric is built, and its repurposing must be enabled. However more needs to be done to encourage the owners of these buildings to convert these spaces. Consideration should be given to a vacancy levy to incentivise the conversion of upper floor apartments.
Dereliction and vacancy is an issue faced by all urban areas, however it is essential that every conceivable step is taken, through this plan, and the initiatives that will support it, to ensure that it is minimised, bringing properties into productive use.
It is critical that Cork city is an inclusive and accessible city that meets the needs of its citizens and facilitates the integration of all different sections of society. It is therefore positive to see provisions made for traveller accommodation, age friendly and supported living housing and older persons and specialist and supported living accommodation.