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Research Groups

Planning Environments

Group Information

Name:	Planning Environments
Programme Leader :	Prof. Jim Walsh
Main Subject Partners:	Geography, Economics, Planning, Sociology, Computer Science
Members:	view members list
Projects:	view projects list
International Partners:	QUB, UU, Harvard University, University of Renne, Renne Management School, ULB, FRW. ESPON is a twenty nine country network.
Events:	view events list
Key Issue:	As promoted by the European Union through the ESDP, coherent and well coordinated spatial planning is a key driver of economic competiveness, territorial cohesion, and balanced local and regional development. The Irish response has been the National Spatial Strategy in the Republic of Ireland, the Regional Development Strategy in Northern Ireland, new planning guidelines, and a myriad of individual projects many of which are funded through Interreg programmes. The Irish and British government have recently issued a communiqué identifying spatial planning as a key area for future cooperation and the Irish government has recently announced that €100 billion will be spent on infrastructure across the Island of Ireland over the next ten years. The implementation of the spatial strategies, new infrastructures and other schemes, such as decentralisation, will have profound effects vis-à-vis economic development, service provision, housing and the environments.
Program Mission:	To undertake fundamental, comparative and applied research that will aid spatial planning on the island of Ireland, particularly with respect to planning practices, analysing main trends and outcomes, working with government and communities for optimal solutions, and the providing key data. A key facet of the PRTLI funding will be to focus on developing key data resources that are presently lacking, particularly at an all-island scale.
Track Record:	NIRSA has established a strong reputation as an expert institution with regards spatial planning in Ireland. This is evidenced by continued contractual and advisory work for government departments and a set of substantial on-going projects.

Membership

Associates

• Brendan Bartley
• Prof. Gerry Boyle
• Proinnsias Breathnach
• Martin Charlton
• Dr. Ronan Foley
• Prof. Stewart Fotheringham
• Michael Kenny
• Prof. Rob Kitchin
• Des McCafferty
• Prof. Jim Walsh
• Dr. John Sweeney
• Dr. Adam Winstanley

Postdocs/Postgraduates

• Matthias Borscheid

• Ruth Casey
• Padraig Corcoran
• Dr. Caroline Creamer
• Caroline Crowley
• Frank Cullen
• Johann Gallagher
• Karen Keaveney
• Dan Maddox
• David Meredith
• James Monagle
• Brendan O'Keeffe
• Sean O'Riordain

Projects

Ongoing projects

• International Centre for Local and Regional Development (ICLRD) (partners – Harvard, UU, Athlone IT, Centre for Cross-Border Studies, Armagh, Clonmacnoise Foundation). Core funded by Irish government, Northern administration, InterTradeIreland.
• European Spatial Planning Observation Network (EPSON) (partners – 28 country network). Core funding EU.

• Cross-border Regional Research Observatory (partners - NCG, DKiT, QUB). Funded by EU Interreg.

• SPAN – Spatial Planning Action Network (partners - QUB, Rural Community Network, Meath Co Dev Board, and Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown CoCo, University of Renne, Renne Management School, ULB, FRW). Funded by EU Interreg.

• Numerous small mapping projects for local authorities

Events

Conferences

• Supporting Evidence-Based Spatial Planning and Analysis in Ireland: Towards the Development of All-Island Spatial Databases
  Bartley, B., Egeraat, C and McCafferty, D.,  RSA/ICLRD Workshop, Maynooth (15 February 2007)
• (2002-06)

 

Seminars

• (2002-06)