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Project title

Designs for a sustainable city: A study of urban growth and its impact on the performance of metropolitan form

Primary Funding Agency

Taighde �ireann-Research Ireland

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

Lead Organisation

University College Dublin (UCD)

Lead Applicant

Not listed

Project Abstract

The population of Ireland is growing, and is projected to grow for the foreseeable future. This prompts questions about accommodating growth in our cities, towns, and villages. How will development be distributed across national, regional, and metropolitan scales, and what forms will this take? These issues are particularly pertinent in light of climate change. The design of the urban realm has been shown to impact carbon emissions, energy use, biodiversity, and pollution levels. But what constitutes �sustainable urban design�? The literature often points to a single morphological model, one that is relatively high density, mixed use, and promotes low-carbon transportation. While studies on compact growth offer evidence that it could be considered one model for sustainable urban design, a gap remains in the literature regarding alternative urban forms� potential environmental benefits. Similarly, there's been inadequate investigation into how urban growth can reshape metropolitan morphology to perform more or less sustainably. This is reflected in policy. In Ireland, national growth targets are adopted in the absence of metropolitan-scale plans that indicate where urban expansion will take place. Concurrently, density guidelines set the form of new developments without regard for their impact on the sustainability of existing settlement patterns. A link is missing in research and policy. There is a need to define sustainable urban design at the metropolitan scale, understand the impact of urban growth on metropolitan structure, and determine what form sustainable urban expansion might take in a given metropolitan context. This research proposal will investigate answers to these questions.

Grant Approved

�124,000.00

Research Hub

Climate Change

Research Theme

3. Climate Solutions, Transition Management and Opportunities

Start Date

09/01/2024

Initial Projected Completion Date

31/08/2028