TWICE THE SIZE - DIT Update - Dublin Institute of Technology

In addition to these key objectives, the National Spatial Strategy recognises the need for a
‘green’ structure of urban development, which includes the following components:
prevention of urban sprawl;
reduction in loss of agricultural land to other uses;
protection of rural identity;
conservation and enhancement of bio-diversity;
protection of existing historic built fabric and other heritage sites;
proximity of settlements to open space and natural amenities; and
sustainable housing densities.
Implications of recent policy developments
The National Spatial Strategy has played a pivotal role in the array of new policies and
legislation that has been formulated to address the rapid population and economic growth that
Ireland has enjoyed over recent years. In particular, the NSS has provided a much needed spatial
dimension to recent social and economic policies. It is apparent that the emphasis is on
sustainable forms of new development with a greater accent on quality in housing design and
the provision of local amenities and services. There is also a closer degree of integration
between housing, local services, employment and transportation – particularly with the
encouragement of mixed-use developments.
3.1.3 Current Spatial Trends in the EU and Ireland
The European Union
There has been a longstanding recognition by geographers of a ‘core-periphery dichotomy’
within Europe. The core area of the continent has been identified as comprising locations with
the greatest population density, concentration of wealth, intensity of commercial activity and,
until recent decades, intensity of manufacturing industry. This core region includes Northern
France, Belgium, the Netherlands, North West Germany and the South East of the United
Kingdom.
Conversely, the peripheral regions of the European Union were characterised by low population
density, a weak urban structure, low intensity agriculture and a disadvantageous economic
position. This periphery comprises Southern Europe, Ireland and Scotland, Northern Scandinavia
and the Balkans.
However, the traditional dichotomy of ‘core’ and ‘periphery’ in Europe has been challenged in
recent years by the exceptional growth of the economies of Ireland, Spain and Finland, and
accordingly, the relationship of a dominant core and a dependant periphery has increasingly
been called into question (Brülhart, 2006).
The forces of urban growth and agglomeration have led to the merging of adjacent urban
centres in a number of locations into one polycentric city region. Examples of these polycentric
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