The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) has launched Irish Cities in Crisis – the most comprehensive book on Irish cities to date.
The book, launched at the National Gallery of Ireland, spans 678 pages of content by 29 contributors and includes case studies and examples of projects on successful European cities.
Irish Cities in Crisis calls for a radical change in how we finance, govern and plan Irish cities. The book argues that cities must be recognised as engines of our social, economic, and cultural lives and must be treated with imagination and care.
Contributors to the book are leading thinkers in the built environment and have written on various topics impacting our cities. Collectively they call for a mindset shift in how we plan and develop our cities arguing that this is essential in ensuring our cities thrive.
Launching the book, Professor Frances Ruane, commented on the importance of the publication: “What this book clarified for me was the need for the dialogue on urban planning, and all spatial planning, to be really wide ranging, both in terms of its outreach to different age groups and communities across the country and in terms of the engagement of a wide range of professional leaders.”
Speaking at the launch, RIAI President, Sean Mahon, said, “Irish cities are in crisis because current systems of planning and development cannot deliver the well-designed environments needed for the future. Given the projected scale of population growth, we are facing a serious challenge in our cities, and we need to act now.
“This publication is timely and points to pragmatic solutions and European exemplars for our cities. Change will not be easy and political courage is required, but the bottom line is that it is time to prioritise the common good. Unless we implement significant change to how we plan and design cities, Ireland will fall behind in its international standing as a quality place in which to live, work and invest.
“Our cities must be treated with imagination and care. Great cities and towns are our future.”
The book, whilst calling out deficits, discusses and offers solutions and initiatives to meet the challenges we are currently facing in our cities. It champions collaboration between civil society and local, regional and state governments to bring about change.
Irish Cities in Crisis is edited by David Browne FRIAI, Jim Coady FRIAI and Dr Carole Pollard FRIAI, and published by the RIAI. The most comprehensive book on Irish cities to date, it spans 678 pages of content by 29 contributors as well as an appendix of case studies, including projects in successful European cities.
