Irish Cities in Crisis

In the late 1950’s Ireland was a young nation facing an almost existential crisis - the impact of which would be felt for generations. It was against this backdrop that T.K. Whitaker, then a departmental secretary, penned a note to the newly appointed Minister for Finance. Simply titled ‘The Irish Economy, 1957’, it was a stark and sobering read but it became the catalyst for major reform. In many respects, it’s hard for Irish people now to relate to life in that era - socially, demographically and politically we feel like a different country. So why does Whitaker’s warning still resonate? “It is accepted on all sides that we have come to a critical and decisive point in our economic affairs. It is only too clear that the policies we have hitherto followed have not resulted in a viable economy.”  This is episode 5, how to build it?Contributors include:David Browne (Irish Cities 2070 Group)Alice Charles (ARUP)Sean Dobbs (Waterford City + County CouncilJane Dillon and Jack Cantillon (Green Room)Máire Henry (dhb Architects)Irish Cities in Crisis is proudly supported by the RIAI and the Irish Cities 2070 Group - the podcast was largely inspired by the book they published late last year under the same title. This series is hosted by Matt Cooper and produced by Dee Reddy of Poddle Audio.

Over the last two episodes, Matt has spoken to a wide range of people - both experts and city dwellers - about the very real urban crisis that exists in Ireland today. We’ve also heard about how the challenges and necessities of the past have informed the problems we now face today in cities like Dublin, Galway, Cork, Waterford and Limerick.In this episode, we take a deep-dive into the populations and people at the centre of it all. We'll hear how cities should be designed for a broad range of needs, how the Irish Cities Group approach demographics and the impact that widespread dereliction is having. Because if we’ve learned anything so far, it’s that an urban crisis is a human crisis.Contributors to this episode include:Contributors:David Browne (ICG 2070)Maria Drzazga (University of Galway, Polish native)Alice Charles (ARUP)Dr Colin Ellard (Neuroscientist, University of Waterloo in Toronto)Frank O'Connor and Jude Sherry (Derelict Ireland)

To understand how we arrived at this crisis, we must take a journey to the past. In this episode Matt learns how urban life in Ireland has changed since 1975, how the rise of the car has changed our cities and why we could all do with a dose of the optimism of the 1990s.Contributors include:Carole PollardTony ReddyFrank McDonaldMáire HenrySean MahonIrish Cities in Crisis is hosted by Matt Cooper and produced by Dee Reddy (Poddle Audio). The show is proudly supported by the RIAI and the Irish Cities 2070 Group.

In episode 1 of the series, Matt speaks to key contributors from the book that inspired the podcast along with business leaders, community activists and more, to uncover how critical Ireland's urban problems really are. What are the challenges that are unique to Ireland, what is their impact and where are the solutions?Contributors include:Sean Mahon, RIAI PresidentDavid Browne, Co-editor Irish Cities in Crisis and Irish Cities 2070Shelley McNamara & Yvonne Farrell, Grafton ArchitectsPhilip Halton, Irish Skate AssociationDr Carole Pollard, Co-editor Irish Cities in CrisisDavid McRedmond, Chief Executive An PostAlice Charles, ARUPProfessor Rob Adams, City of MelbourneJude Sherry, Derelict IrelandJane Dillon, Dublin Lido Project.