Looking at the strategy as a whole, the policy of decentralisation has been needed for a long time and needs to be expanded. Plans to decentralise thousands of Dublin based civil servants and their Departments are central to the whole notion of spatial strategy as an alternative to gridlocked Dublin. Dublin needs continued growth and improvement. The strategy must seek to counter the city's outward sprawl by creating a compact city capable of supporting further growth in demographic and economic terms. The lack of foresight over the last five years has seen our capital city develop into a place where tens of thousands, particularly young people, live on the edge of the greater Dublin area. They can expect to spend up to four hours in traffic on gridlocked roads commuting to and from their homes, many of which have been built on flood plains and are liable to flooding. Planning scandals where homes were built on flood plains – thousands more are planned – despite contrary advice, compete with road chaos to paint a picture of a city crippled by its economic success.