Dublin’s ability to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from shocks and stresses and to capitalise on opportunities, are critical factors in ensuring its long-term success.
Our research explores two key components of urban resilience - namely infrastructure and sustainability, and we look at some of the urgent policy actions Dublin needs to take in these areas.
Dublin enjoys a privileged geographical position and an equitable climate. The evolution of the city as the nation’s capital has transformed Dublin into a significant tech centre, a major tourism destination, and home for over 1.5 million people, extending to 2.1 million people in the Greater Dublin Area.
However, the city’s infrastructure has not kept up, and Dublin’s resilience is under threat. With such a burgeoning population, pressure on housing has become intense and unsurprisingly it is the single most pressing issue in our Dublin 2040 research with 60 percent citing it as the greatest priority.
More recently, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has put added pressure on health facilities, and affordable healthcare is rated as the second most important resilience issue in our research.
Moreover, the impact of the pandemic has tested our resilience and along with technology, has radically altered the world of work with a consequential impact on issues ranging from commuting patterns to urban land use. The ever-shifting impact of technology has also radically changed areas such as retail and entertainment with consequences for the entire city.
