TWICE THE SIZE - DIT Update - Dublin Institute of Technology

Letterkenny is a relatively late bloomer in the Irish urban transformation, but it is now, in 2030,
rapidly making up for lost time. The county of Donegal is undergoing significant urban growth,
including rising demand for housing, water supply, health services, infrastructure, education and
employment. Professionals are attracted to lower property prices, commuting times and a lower
cost of living, but also because of its proximity to the coast and countryside as well as to a
number of available outdoor activities and amenities. The most vibrant areas of employment
have become the pharmaceutical and financial services as well as professional services.
However, this was not always the case. During the late 1900s and early 2000s there was a slow
emergence of a palpable division of Letterkenny into a town of two halves, the old and new
halves, which rendered Letterkenny a confused (lack of identity) and lifeless town, hindering
growth. At the core of this division lay the usual suspects - the car, social exclusion, poverty,
pollution, which exacerbated the division within the town and took away the sense of
togetherness and civic ownership and pride. Communities felt dislocated from their urban
environment. Who ran and owned the city? The car or the civilian? Lack of environmental
awareness became frightening, however, this mindset was rekindled and active citizenship
became the norm. In terms of societal reflections, the impact of IT was huge in Letterkenny and
created a digital divide resulting in an increase in social isolation.
During the 2020s, it was the era of awareness. The problems relating to the city division
mounted during the early 2010s in Letterkenny. The only way to achieve any sustainable form of
city regeneration was through creating a new heart for the town. And sustainable transport was
the key to achieving this vision. The people of Letterkenny desperately needed a town centre or
a core to relate to and the redevelopment of the city centre cultural quarter (pubs, restaurants,
cultural services i.e. cinema, theatre, leisure centre) served as a starting point of the
regeneration of the entire town in general.
With the deployment of funding from the sustainable development task force fund and regional
authority in 2018, work began on the cultural quarter, resolving the division of Letterkenny in
its development. Connectivity was a core guiding principle of the 2018 Development Plan
(modelled on the Eyre Square development in Galway) and work focused largely on embracing
and capitalising upon the natural/green environment. The park in the city opened up a civic
space for the people of Letterkenny with its orchards and trees, cycle tracks and family-friendly
pathways. Furthermore, although the shift from private transport to public, sustainable and
integrated multi-modal transport was a long drawn out and challenging process, it was a
worthwhile investment priority. A rail link around the town that served the park and was
facilitated across the river by majestic bridges ensured a safe, highly efficient transport system
for commuter in the area.
Alongside Letterkenny’s cultural quarter, commercial activities have flourished. The science and
technological hub was developed which is connected to Letterkenny Institute of Technology
(LIT) and the University of Ulster in Derry, sustaining cross-border co-operation on research and
educational issues as well as sustainability issues. These colleges became national centres for
sustainable energy, including wind, wave and tidal, placing Donegal on the map of research and
development.
182