THE NEW GOVERNMENT faces an immense challenge in solving Ireland’s housing and infrastructure crisis. With a housing deficit of 250,000 homes and a population projected to grow by an additional one million people over the next 20 years, the next government must act decisively.

We at the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) are calling for a radical shift in mindset in how we plan and deliver our cities and urban centres. The current system of planning and development cannot deliver the well-designed environments needed for our future.

It has left us with long commutes, high carbon emissions and social dislocation. These problems are compounded by high infrastructure costs and poor access to social services like schools, healthcare and childcare. It is time for a radical departure from the status quo.

The draft revised National Planning Framework highlights the need to build in targeted areas that prevent the unchecked sprawl that has marred much of our development to date. Ireland’s housing needs are not just a question of numbers but of community and climate obligations.

Advertisement

A new mindset is urgently needed – one that embraces not just the building of homes, but the creation of thriving, sustainable and inclusive communities. As the representative body for architects, the RIAI is calling on the incoming government to take bold steps to make this a........

© TheJournal