challenges for waterfront development examples from belfast and dublin dr jenny muir 12 th september...
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Challenges for waterfront development
Examples from Belfast and Dublin
Dr Jenny Muir
12th September 2012
Introduction to Belfast’s waterfront 1791: First shipyard 1840s: Belfast Harbour Commissioners dredged and straightened the river
to form the Victoria Channel – and paid for new shipyards, dry docks and reclaimed land from 1850s
‘Golden Age’ of shipbuilding 1880 – 1914 including Titanic Decline of shipbuilding from 1970s, last ship built in 2003 1989: Laganside Urban Development Corporation, 200 hectares: offices,
private apartments, construction of weir UDC wound up in 2007, area now administered by Department of Social
Development e.g. public space, river and weir 2001: work starts on site preparation and Masterplan for Titanic Quarter 2005: TQ site lease bought by Harcourt Developments from Fred Olsen
Shipping Co. – freehold owned by Belfast Harbour Commissioners
Titanic Quarter outline 75 hectare site on East side of
river; plus 10 hectares Northern Ireland Science Park
Phase 1 (2001 - 2012)o *475 apartments & marinao *Gateway office building: Citibanko *Belfast Metropolitan Collegeo *New Public Records Office
Phase 2 (2007 – present)o *Titanic Belfast museum (for 2012
anniversary)o *Film studios (refurbishment)o Approx. 2000 apartments
including social/ affordable o Leisure and office facilitieso Small-scale retail, hotel
Titanic Quarter today
Belfast’s waterfront
Introduction to Dublin’s waterfront Port activity from mid-17th century Gradual move outwards from the city during 18th and 19th centuries Departure point for America during Famine (1840s – 1860s), now
commemorated by public art and replica Famine ship No shipbuilding industry – important working Port to this day Waterfront decline began to be addressed in 1980s 1986: Custom House Docks Development – Urban Development
Corporation:o Part of a national level Urban Renewal Scheme but also had its own
planning powerso Included construction of the International Financial Services
Centre, important for the ‘Celtic Tiger’ boom
Dublin Docklands outline Approx. 500 hectares Overseen by Dublin Docklands Development Authority, a statutory body
created by DDDA Act 1997 Includes statutory community involvement forum Aims:
o Sustainable social and economic regeneration of the area (both sides of the River Liffey)
o Improve physical environmento Secure continued development of financial services industry in the
area Masterplan issued every 5 years, most recent is 2008 Separate planning process, not controlled by Dublin City Council Recent announcement that DDDA is to be wound up following a damning
audit report – conflict of interest on the Board
Dublin Docklands today
Selected challenges in waterfront development
Connectivity
Heritage – a big responsibility
Housing
Public subsidy – not if but how
Responding to the unexpected
Connectivity – the challenge of getting there ‘Real’ distance: transport of all kinds built into phase 1 which
requires public sector investment upfront ‘Imagined’ distance: making the waterfront a destination for
locals, tourists and employers – connecting with the rest of the world e.g. Belfast Our Time Our Place campaign (below)
Technical connectivity: broadband
Connectivity example: Dublin – ‘real’ distance
Samuel Beckett bridge: connecting North and South of the River Liffey, 2009
LUAS tram on the North side only: connecting the Docklands O2 Centre concert hall with the city’s main bus station and two of the main train stations, 2009
Heritage – the responsibility of selling history How are the topics selected? Why are they considered
important? Whose history? Presented for whom? Example - Titanic Quarter:
o Heritage ‘offer’ based on one ship not shipbuilding as a wholeo Important for Belfast to situate itself in the lucrative Titanic industry:
‘she was all right when she left here’o The story is presented as heroic – pushing technological boundarieso Located in a modern ‘signature building’ while the adjacent Harland
& Wolff HQ - including the Drawing Office where the ship was designed - is half derelict
o Sectarianism in the shipyards’ history is played downo The story is presented primarily for tourists and the Irish diaspora o It’s expensive!o However the memorialisation is sensitive and well done
Heritage example: Titanic Belfast.....
Memorialisation of 1,502 lives.....
.....and the Drawing Office
Housing – opportunities for all? Belfast Titanic Quartero No housing on site before the
redevelopmento No planning obligation to provide
social or affordable housingo Perhaps some concern that social
housing would damage attempts to make the redevelopment ‘shared space’ between Protestants and Catholics
o Affordable housing in Phase 2 – but when?
o Falling value of apartments for sale bought off plan caused mortgage difficulties for some purchasers
Dublin Docklandso Established residential
community before the redevelopment - lots of social housing
o Political pressure to improve housing conditions as part of the development
o Strong residents’ organisations and presence on DDDA Board
o One notorious flats complex demolished, 20% social or affordable housing requirement introduced, template for legislation
Housing: Dublin Docklandso 3.300 new homes, 20% social or affordableo Investment purchases in early years led to transient new populationo Low space standards in some of the first apartment developmentso Social mismatch between new and longer-standing residentso Families not attracted to owner occupation in the areao BUT 20% social or affordable housing achieved
Public subsidy example: Titanic Quarter
Titanic Belfast (museum):• NI Tourist Board £36.5m• Belfast City Council £10m (Memorandum of Understanding)
-Jobs & apprenticeships- Affordable housing
(£30m private sector)
Others:• Graving Dock/ PumpHouse: £1.2m NITB, £1.5m Dept of Environment• EU Peace III £2.27m Nomadic historic tug boat• Public Records Office £30m• College £44m
Responding to the unexpected: Titanic Studios
http://www.northernirelandscreen.co.uk/sections/10/the-paint-hall-studio.aspx