Ireland Topic Introduction - URBAN DESIGN 176
Edition 176 of URBAN DESIGN presents an opportunity to reflect on the state of urban design in Ireland in 2025 and comment on its distinct characteristics. Here is an introduction by Guest Topic Editors Miriam Fitzpatrick and Alan Mee.
Miriam Fitzpatrick, Lecturer/ Assistant Professor and Alan Mee, Lecturer/ Assistant Professor, School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin.
Ireland’s planning system, which is partly inherited from the UK, is based on statutes and regulations. This inevitably creates an ad-hoc, two-dimensional, process-driven procurement practice instead of a plan-led, three-dimensional urban design culture. Yet, we look to cities shaped by a European design tradition for inspiration: Freiburg, Bordeaux, Berlin, Lisbon, Warsaw and Oslo – places where planning is legislated but also spatial, infrastructure-based and coordinated in multiple ways, often with design at the forefront.
Global influences further complicate the Irish hybrid. Irish planning culture was reshaped from its Garden City roots and ideals by international policy norms following our membership to the United Nations in 1955, and American planner Charles Abrams drafted initial recommendations for the planning profession. These sensibilities, combined with the most open market-oriented economy and a suburban outlook rooted in individual rights and a commitment to car-focused developments, are reflected in recent plans. Many outcomes follow Jonathan Barnett’s 1974 critique that, ‘their form results from decisions made for single and separate purposes, whose interrelationships and side effects have not been fully considered’. Without a national policy on urban design, projects inevitably turn into a funding pat 
This issue directly confronts those tensions by asking: where does urban design sit between these cultural roots in Ireland? And more importantly, how do we build a more design-oriented platform that supports the culture, leadership and civic purpose of urban design? With multi-billion-euro investment in national infrastructure currently underway – where design has yet to be treated as an integral part – the obligation to plan spatially and for the long term has never been more pressing.
The contributions in this issue address the specificities of a small island, while having relevance for those working in urban design globally. Ireland is sometimes cited as one of the fastest globalising locations, while still deeply rooted in its unique customs, cultures and landscapes. Derry O’Connell opens the issue by describing the influence of the National Building Agency, a government design office for urban design work in Ireland between 1992 and 2011, which reminds us that the idea of an Irish urban design-focused public office could happen again. Dick Gleeson then links social infrastructure to urban design, asserting that prioritising social value can serve as a catalytic force to enhance local agency. Michael K Hayes’ essay presents a more nuanced definition of Irish metropolitan areas and explores how they can improve urban design outcomes. Stephen O’Malley argues for discipline agnostic design, delivering complexity at scale through problem-solving with system thinking, in response to rapid economic, social and environmental change. The experience of a UK urban design practice, which foregrounds character in engagement-led planning, is described by Alistair Macdonald and Peter Sagar of Allies and Morrison with their work on a growing sector of New European Bauhaus funded projects (NEB), which supports the Town Centre First Heritage Revival Schemes (THRIVE).
Thinking about optimism and engagement in Irish urbanism, Colin King discusses public awareness in urban design processes, offers personal observations on stepping out of a parent discipline towards urban design, and reflects on a rare phenomenon of an Irish planned town, Adamstown, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. Collette Burns then discusses the masterplanning and monitoring of a large Irish educational campus in Dublin city centre, and the need to constantly review everything in the context of evolving stakeholders, changing approaches to construction and costs, and environmental impacts. Colum O’Connor examines how Irish towns and cities need to respond to emerging trends in healthier lifestyle habits.
Emily Jones examines impromptu cultural infrastructures and Dublin’s accidental urbanism, proposing strategies for reuse, such as activating side streets, industrial spaces and vacant properties in collaboration with artists or designers, through a decentralised and circular approach. Working within a local authority and bridging traditional funding and disciplinary silos, Giulia Vallone shows ideas for re-inhabiting Irish streets, focusing on urban design and the regeneration of Irish towns. Hugo Hickey explores the geometry of Irish civic life, using a detailed example of a small town square in Monaghan, a border county, where less clutter results in more vibrant uses. To close, Tony Reddy leverages his extensive knowledge of Irish, European and UK planning systems to champion an integrated multidisciplinary three dimensional planning system for Ireland, which he argues would, in turn, deliver quality places and make better use of resources.
Ultimately, the challenge for Irish urban design is not just technical. It is cultural and political. It is to prioritise design amid a complex mix of inherited ad-hoc procedures, some derived from the UK model, alongside the aspirational design culture of Europe and the New European Bauhaus pillars of sustainability, aesthetics, and inclusion, complemented by the pragmatic, market-oriented sensibilities of the USA. Ireland now finds itself caught between three influences – the UK, the EU and the USA – balancing conflicting legacies while forging its own path. The aim is to turn this delicate position into a solid foundation, and the examples in this issue demonstrate that design need not be an afterthought, but the central principle guiding planning, investment and civic vision.
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