Tall stories: Most Dubliners in favour of bigger buildings

Most Dubliners are in favour of taller buildings providing they are well designed, in appropriate locations, and add to the city’s skyline.

That is according to a new survey commissioned by Spencer Place Development Company, a joint venture between Johnny Ronan’s Ronan Group Real Estate and Colony Capital.

Mr Ronan is attempting to secure permission to add two extra storeys to the Salesforce Tower, an office block he is developing in the Dublin’s docklands. The permitted height for the Dublin tower is currently 39 .

The developer recently received permission for a 22-storey tower on Tara Street in a decision described by An Tasice as a “catastrophic error”.

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The proposed tower, the tallest in the State, will be 30m higher than Liberty Hall, which it will face across the river Liffey.

While conservation groups may bemoan plans to allow taller buildings, the survey of 590 adults, conducted by Red C on behalf of the Ronan Group, suggests that most Dubliners are in favour of lifting restrictions.

Overall, 87 per cent of respondents agreed that building higher density homes and offices close to existing transportation infrastructure makes sense for Dublin. A similar percentage said that while the historic Georgian core should be protected, there is room for taller buildings in areas such as the docklands.

Compete

Some 79 per cent agreed that Dublin needs to have taller buildings so it can compete with cities such as Barcelona, Amsterdam and Frankfurt for jobs.

Close to 60 per cent of respondents felt the Dublin city skyline needs to be protected, while 48 per cent expressed concerns that tall buildings overshadow other properties and make cities feel less like a community.

Women were more likely to be favour of taller buildings in the capital than men.

Commenting on the research, James Ronan of Ronan Group Real Estate said: “For Dublin to grow, we need taller buildings where appropriate. Areas such as the docklands provide ample space to do so and as the research shows there is a clear consensus amongst Dublin residents and commuters that building higher density homes and offices close to existing transportation infrastructure makes sense for Dublin’s growth.

‘Human scale’

“We can achieve all of that without compromising the special fabric of Dublin’s Georgian core and the city’s ‘human scale’. The key is locating higher density in appropriate locations.”

Only one in four respondents said they believed the housing crisis can be solved without changing height and density restrictions, with two-thirds believing taller buildings could help to address the problem.