2040 plan depends on Cork acting as Dublin counterbalance

The success of the Ireland 2040 strategy will depend on the extent to which Cork succeeds at an increasingly important national role, argues William Brady.

THE Government recently published the draft National Planning Framework, (Ireland 2040: Our Plan), a long-term strategic planning framework to guide national, regional, and local planning and investment decisions. It has very interesting things to say about the future of the State, about regional development, and, perhaps most significantly, about Cork’s role as a centre of national and international significance.

Ireland 2040 represents an ambitious attempt to guide development and manage growth in a responsible manner. It is an example of a creative, future-oriented approach to “place-making” at a grand scale; this ambition should be applauded and supported. An initial analysis of the document suggests Cork is set to play an extremely important national role; indeed, I would argue that the success of this new national strategy will depend on the extent to which Cork succeeds in meeting this challenge.