Housing and transport plans for the future need to learn from the mistakes Ireland has made in the past.
Councillor and architect Ciaran Cuffe is critical of the lack of amenities near developments where hundreds of houses were built dependent on one road in and out, resulting in traffic congestion. Shops and schools should be within walking distance of people's homes.
Developers here over the past thirty years built houses in what became suburbs. The bricks and mortar was in place but the transport system wasn't.
An Taisce says that suburban towns should be able to demonstrate a commitment to good planning and sustainable development. Dublin City Manager, John Fitzpatrick, says that with the benefit of hindsight, much of the housing development that took place in the past should not have happened where it did. Much of this development took place in response to serious housing needs but there is a need to move away from knee-jerk housing policy.
In the Dublin area 20,000 people currently require housing each year. One proposal is to develop Luas and Metro systems to the suburbs to enable further development. Hugh Wenban-Smith, transport consultant, says that city transport development and housing need to work hand in hand.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 4 October 2000. The reporter is Anthony Murnane.
