The proposed Greater Dublin Authority must have power to make decisions on issues such as public transport, planning and economic development, a conference in Dublin heard last week.
The conference, which was addressed by a range of international planning experts, entitled "Doubling Dublin", heard Dublin could have a bright future as one of a network of European and world-wide cities, free of trade barriers, fluent in technology and with free movement of workers. If the authority had the power to solve the current problems of poor public transport, urban sprawl, housing and traffic congestion, then Dublin as an entity could become a more important driver of employment.
According to a range of speakers at a conference in the City West Hotel last week, the city, if properly planned, could replace the State as the primary influence on employment and economic prosperity.
Professor Saskia Sassen, an international expert on the global economy, pointed out that with deregulation of trade barriers and the growth in information technology, cities now deal with one another much more than they deal with State authorities.
Deregulation, information technology and the growth in power of multi-nationals created much of the expansion of Dublin over the past decade and the problems now facing the city can best be solved by a city authority than by government.
In her presentation Professor Sassen pointed out that "the employment and wealth of cities is determined by their effectiveness in integrating into the global network of cities" and she was supported by Professor Remy Prud'homme of the University of Paris who identified three key elements in the efficiency of cities: "The size of the city, the speed at which people and goods are moved in the city and the sprawl or relative location of jobs to homes." Achieving efficiency in these three categories determines the efficiency of the city's productivity and competitiveness.
However, he warned that "in all three categories, Dublin displays dangerous signs of critical inefficiency. If this is not rectified, the city faces the danger of economic strangulation."
Mr Jonathan Potter of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said devolution of power within cities was "a prerequisite for the health and effectiveness of cities", with all the relevant players in the public, private and non-profit sectors playing a role in effective social inclusion and local development.
Ms Gina Quinn, chief executive of Dublin Chamber of Commerce said Dublin has a bright future but its problems, particularly "transport and affordable housing" in the Greater Dublin area, needed to be solved. She said the Greater Dublin Authority should be established as quickly as possible, or Dublin will lose out internationally.
Dr Brendan Williams of the School of the Built Environment in Dublin Institute of Technology spoke of Dublin as a "city economy" and the need for a quality urban management process to facilitate and achieve sustainable economic development in the city.
Dr Williams stressed that any expansion of Dublin should include a return to mixed-use development in a more compact city, integrating transport, land use and economic objectives to achieve sustainable development aims. This point was echoed by the Dublin city manager, Mr John Fitzgerald, who said the day of the old-style semi-detached house in the suburbs were "gone forever".
Housing estates had traditionally provided for large families on an almost semi-rural basis in the suburbs but recent changes in family sizes meant the demand for housing was now coming from much smaller family units.
