Cork city centre to have a 'neighbourhood' feel post-Covid 

New strategy to be prepared by team of architects, urban designers, and economists, with policies to position city as a place to live as well as work

Cork City Council’s commercial rates arrears jumped from €14m in 2019 to €22m last year as the full effects of the pandemic were felt. Picture; Larry Cummins

Work is under way on a new strategy to make Cork city centre a more liveable city amid warnings that commercial vacancy levels are set to increase post-Covid.

A team including architects, urban designers, and economists has been commissioned to prepare the strategy, which will include planning policies to position the city as a place to live as well as a place within which to work — viewing the city centre "as a neighbourhood", officials said.