Rejuvenating docklands: The Irish context

Irish planning legislation has traditionally emphasised control at the expense of development. In response to widespread dereliction spreading across the city in the early 1980s, a shift in policy direction became imperative. The Urban Renewal Act, introduced in 1986, marked a new departure in Irish planning practice signalling a more pro-active approach to development. This paper charts the evolution of planning policy from the 1960s to the present day, and illustrates the impact of such policy change with reference to Dublin Docklands. It is suggested that in addition to the encouragement of physical and economic regeneration, urban renewal policy forced a re-assessment of the role and operation of the local authority, Dublin Corporation.