CASE STUDY F


Urban Sprawl in Ireland As already mentioned, the European Environmental Agency is extremely concerned with the rate at which Dublin City is sprawling into the surrounding countryside. However, urban sprawl is occurring all throughout Ireland as low-density housing continues to be built along exit routes of towns. Many roadways and commercial developments have also contributed to urban sprawl around the country. Compared to other European cities, Dublin has an incredibly low population density, despite having an area of 115 km2


Lusk Ratoath Ashbourne Ballyboughal Rush Portrane M e a t h


Dunboyne Clonee


Leixlip Lucan Dublin Newcastle Rathcoole


has a population density of 4,588 per km2


. Dublin City . While this


Dalkey Brittas Bray


may seem high by national standards, a city such as Paris has a population density of over 21,400 per km2


Causes


During the Celtic Tiger era, many young couples looked to buy homes for the first time. However, most people were unable to afford homes in Ireland’s cities due to inflated housing prices and so they looked to buy more affordable housing in the towns and villages surrounding the cities instead. Tis led to the rapid growth of these towns and villages and the construction of large housing estates to accommodate first-time buyers. An example of this is Ashbourne in Co. Meath, which in 1970 had a population of under 400. By 2011 this number had risen to 11,355.


Sligo Cavan Kells


In response to the growing housing market, more land surrounding Ireland’s cities was zoned for residential and commercial purposes by county and city councils. Tis land was bought by property developers who built large uniform housing estates, regardless of whether there was a demand or not.


Te construction of several motorways linking Dublin to the other major Irish cities encouraged further urban sprawl as the roads greatly reduced travel times in Ireland. Tis meant that people who worked in the cities could commute longer distances to work and


Roscommon Athlone


Galway Loughrea Port Laoise Carlow Shannon Limerick Kilkenny Arklow Mullingar Tullamore


Dublin Dún


Laoghaire Wicklow Dundalk


; Fig. 6.6 Motorways converge in Dublin, which encourages urban sprawl.


Enniskerry .


: Fig. 6.5 Urban sprawl in Dublin


0 D u b l i n Dún Laoghaire Ringsend Swords


Donabate Malahide


Portmarnock


National rail Towns


Major roads


Conversion of green urban areas to residential land use


Conversion of land to artificial land (excl. construction sites and green urban areas) to residential land use


Conversion of land to artificial land use


Built-up areas Counties


4 km


Wexford Mitchelstown Killarney Cork Waterford Dungarvan


URBAN PROBLEMS 159


Elective 5: Human CHAPTER 6


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