Dr. Cathal FitzGerald:

I thank the Chair and members of the committee for the opportunity to discuss the NESC 2019 research on transport-oriented development, TOD. I am joined by my colleague, Mr. Noel Cahill. Members should please note that we are members of the NESC secretariat rather than members of the council and we are speaking to the committee in that capacity, in the interests of time and taking as read the role and membership of NESC.

Our research on TOD was published on our website, but I will summarise some of the key points briefly for the committee. In 2019, we assessed the opportunity to apply TOD in Ireland. TOD is a specific type of urban development. It is not about making development happen, which is a separate issue that the council has examined. Rather, it is about the nature of the urban development that does happen. It addresses problems of sprawl, long commutes, harmful emissions, pollution and poorer quality of life. It does this by maximising the provision of housing, employment, public services and open leisure spaces within close proximity to frequent high-quality transport services.

TOD means locating higher density housing, typically in excess of 50 dwellings per hectare, within a radius of 400 m to 800 m of a transport stop. Typically, that transport stop is a light railor dedicated rapid bus transport corridor. More homes are within walking or cycling distance of public transport.That transport must be high-quality and high-frequency, and must be integrated into a network.

The emphasis on active and public transport is important. TOD also means the active discouragement of car usage and ownership by reducing parking availability and situating parking away from homes at garages on the outskirts of a development. Our research is based on case studies and revealed four key elements which are necessary to deliver successful TOD development.

First, there is a need to articulate a vision. TOD begins when policymakers clearly articulate what it is their actions are intended to achieve, whether this is compact urbanisation, as was the case in the Netherlands or, as we see in Freiburg in Germany, a city of short distances. The high-level vision spurs the second important factor, that is, the decision. State level or local authorities take a formal decision to deliver a TOD at an identified suitable location. Without this, business-as-usual car-orientated design and development scenarios can be expected. The third important element is the tailored institutional set-up. TOD is aided by a publicly led body or team at the helm, one which does the land use and transport planning for the site and then prepares the site for development in accordance with the master plan. Fourth, the TOD model requires an appropriate funding system. TOD means making significant investment in large transport and other infrastructure ahead of demand. Our research shows the importance of capturing the value of State investment and the uplift in the price of property in the area around the investment. Policymakers must actively install a funding model appropriate for TOD, one which applies value capture to deliver homes and facilities ahead of population increases.

It is notable that there is no successful modern example of transport oriented development in Ireland. The NESC's 2019 assessment of the policy context found that while one of the four required elements was in place, that being the national planning framework’s vision for compact growth and sustainable mobility, this did not appear to be the case at that time for the other three elements we considered important, that is a decision, the publicly led institution, and the appropriate funding model. It is important to say that since then, there have been some promising moves in relation to Dublin, Galway and Limerick, with plans for Heuston, Shankill, Terryland and Colbert Square. An ambitious vision has been set out for the redevelopment of the Naas Road-Ballymount-Park West area, the City Edge project, and Cherrywood has some positive features. The planned investment in commuter rail in Cork also provides an opportunity for TOD. I understand a Bill to progress land value sharing has also been published. The extent to which these plans result in new transport oriented development in Ireland remains to be seen. Mr. Cahill and I are happy to answer any questions on that topic that members may have.