1. Creating Residential Communities in the Twenty First Century
P. Anthony Reddy
Until the beginning of the 1990’s the number of architects involved in the design of private housing in
Ireland was very limited. One of the effects of the Government policy of providing tax incentives for
residences in designated urban sites has been that an increasing number of architects have been
commissioned to design inner city apartment schemes. However, with the exception of a limited number
of town housing schemes, the involvement of Architects in conventional suburban housing design has,
until recent years, been limited.
The 1997 Government Guidelines on Sustainable Development and the 1999 ministerial directive
encouraging higher density housing schemes has produced both the need and the opportunity for
architects to become involved in housing design. Indeed it has been the catalyst for the exploration of
alternatives to suburban land planning by both the architectural and planning professions. However, the
task of designing for higher densities to produce more sustainable neighbourhoods requires not merely
the acquisition of new skills by architects but also, a change in County Development Plan standards, if
we are to produce higher quality residential neighbourhoods in the future.
Much of the suburban development of Irish towns and cities which occurred from the 1960s onwards
appears to be miserably bereft of character when compared with places that we regard as models of
good urban design - the Georgian and Victorian cores of Dublin and our major towns and cities or
established residential areas in Galway, Kinsale or Kilkenny. However, while we admire such places, we
consistently build something very different- the familiar sprawl of modern suburbia.
Our planning standards, as articulated in most county development plans facilitate - indeed encourage -
segmented growth which actually makes it impossible to incorporate urban design qualities we
associate with existing towns. Few planning standards tolerate the hierarchical fabric of public spaces
that characterise the towns and communities we hold in high esteem.
We live in an age of broad public concern for the physical environment, yet we are only beginning to
grapple with what is essential about town - making. On the one hand, our planning system seems mired
in the bureaucratic realm of policy formulation and macro issues, as unrelated to the spatial dimension
of communities. On the other hand, architects and concerned members of the pubic are consumed with
detail and image. Consequently, we continue to build vast tracts of repetitive development that form
neither neighbourhoods, towns nor cities.
Professional Rejection of Suburbia
Many architects and town planners prefer to ignore the suburb, hoping that it will prove to be as
inconsequential as it is distasteful. Most professionals see themselves as urbanists who appreciate the
values of our cities and towns where culture and civic space interact naturally. Because of this we
consider the city and urban values to be dominant in our culture and that the suburbs are some aberrant
form of settlement. However, the reality is that in Ireland, as in most Western cultures, the suburb is the
predominant form of settlement. Unless we confront this reality, and the fact that the suburbs have a
persuasive hold on the Irish imagination, it will continue to dominate developing urban forms.
Refusing to recognise the impact that the phenomenon of “Edge City” is having on our towns and cities
while concentrating our efforts solely on model inner city renewal and infill projects is unlikely to provide
architects and planners with successful solutions to contemporary urbanism. While urban infill, urban
regeneration: the transformation of former industrial areas and replacement of existing housing stock are
all important areas of activity, development in the suburbs of our towns and cities constitute the major
area of activity in the residential sector.
Our towns and cities are spreading outwards at an alarming rate. It has been estimated by one
economist that at its current rate of expansion, the Greater Dublin will occupy, by 2010, an area
spreading from Wicklow to Drogheda and from the East coast far inland. This approximates to the area
occupied by Los Angeles, a city not noted for its model urban form or sustainability. Worse still, the

2. projected population of the GDA will be just under two million, about a quarter of that of the Los Angeles
region. This form of settlement, with its emphasis on mobility by car and a preference for privacy over
sociability can have potentially serious consequences for the future of our cities and towns. However, the
suburbs are for too deeply embedded in the Irish psyche for it to disappear as a phenomenon. It is the
challenge facing architects and town planners for the 21st century to tackle and control this domineering
form of settlement.
The Suburban Model
The contemporary Irish suburb is a victim of its own success. From the middle of the 19th Century, with
the advent of the railways, the middle classes have been leaving our towns and cities. The Irish were
seeking the advantages of suburbia long before the motorcar appeared to make them conveniently
accessible.
This is no different to experience in most Western countries. The leafy suburb between town and
country is precisely the form of settlement that has been desired by most western families since the early
part of the last century. The traditional separate worlds of town and country would, in the mid 19th
century, make way for what Ebenezer Howard called the “third magnet” of city and country. The
success of the suburb as a place to live was reinforced, as it became the accepted refuge from the evils
of the Victorian industrial city. In its first century and a half, the advantages of this new area between
town and country were dominant: clean air, greenery, open space, a place to bring up family and for
encouraging family values, a refuge from industry and commerce and the hectic nature of city life.
However, as the suburbs have become the dominant form of human settlement, the weaknesses and
problems associated with it have become more apparent. As the majority of the community live in
suburbs, the assumed advantages became disadvantages as the difficulties of communication and
accessibility become more car-dependant and hence more time consuming. In addition the aspirations
of most Irish suburban dwellers to live near city and country, to own and control their own property,
including front and back garden; to have constant freedom of movement and to cherish our privacy, all
tend to work against establishing good communities.
There is no shortage of criticism levelled at such modern development. The limited number of
alternative designs which are emerging, especially those which contain quality urban planning and
place-making, are published here as reference for architects, planners and policy makers with the aim of
providing appropriate models for the development of future housing design standards.
Densities in Irish Towns & Cities
In any review of this kind, it is useful to set the subject of study within historical perspective not only as a
means of validating current assumptions but also because any residential new prototypes in Irish towns
and cities ought to acknowledge past patterns of development and relevant historical lessons.
Until recent times, discussion of urban density in Ireland has tended to focus on the concept of ”net
residential density” and was expressed in terms of persons per hectare or persons per acre. County
development plans identified a number of density zones. An inner city zone of 100/150 bed spaces per
acre, an inner suburb and zone of 50-70 bed spaces per acre and an outer zone of 10-12 houses per
acre. Such simplistic patterns of concentric density bands were a familiar feature of post-war
development strategies across Europe. This policy of limiting residential densities reflected deep-seated
perceptions that higher density housing was synonymous with overcrowded and unsanitary living

3. conditions. Indeed in the literature, politics and social commentary of Irish cities through their history,
runs a continuous theme of opposition, even escape from the city as an undesirable environment.
However, high density can often be synonymous with high values. The Victorian terraces of Rathgar,
Rathmines and Phibsborough achieve high net residential densities of the order of 300 persons per
hectare; yet remain visibly successful pieces of urban design. The root of this lies in the relationship
between density and intensity. The latter term is usually taken to mean an urban environment perceived
as being acceptably dense and vital, while retaining personal amenity, privacy and well-being.
Innovative public housing schemes in the UK, Holland and, more recently, Ireland have proved that the
theoretical calculations could be fully realised in practice with typical outcomes in density terms of
between 150 and 300 persons per hectare without loss of privacy, amenity or compromising housing mix
and choice. What these successful projects have also demonstrated is that their site planning and
detailed design generally require a higher standard of professional performance, certainly compared to
standard house builders products of the same period. The examples shown in this publication such as
Temple Bar West End and Clarion Court in the inner city, St. Anne's, Milltown and Saggart on the
suburban fringe, show a reinterpretation in contemporary built forms of housing with much higher space
standards for each residence than would normally be associated with the density of housing provided.
Arguments for and against the adoption of higher density for urban and suburban sites are often
clouded by misconceptions. Despite the evidence that identical numbers of residents could be
accommodated either in terraced houses on the ground or in high rise blocks to quote the two
contrasting extremes, the misconception has persisted that high rise forms of development automatically
mean higher density, while often in practice the plot ratios and & dwelling outputs are identical in both
cases. The difference lies in the physical form itself and not in the numbers accommodated.
Design Places Not Roads
The cities, towns and villages in which we live have been shaped by a wide range of influences -
primarily by their location, function and patterns of ownership, but also by the requirements over the past
40 years. Most historic settlements owe their layout to their original function. Towns and villages have
grown up around a market place or according to the pattern of land use and the ownership of land.
In historical terms, the formal planning of Irish cities and towns is a relatively new phenomenon. With the
exception of the “Planted Towns” and the formal planning of estates by Georgian landlords this has
mainly consisted in the planning of new suburbs or new communities on the outskirts of town by local
authorities. Alongside the planning of new developments - whether by landowner, developer or local
authority - has been the increasing number of regulations in how they are built. At the outset, the
regulations were a means of ensuring the passage of air, light and fire separation. However, with the
dramatic increase in car ownership in the post-war period, traffic considerations came to dominate the
regulation of road design. Developers and house builders were obliged to follow rigid road engineering
requirements at the expense of other considerations that can contribute to creating good
Urban spaces because failure to do so would result in their developments not being taken in charge by
local authorities.
The result of the emphasis on the movement of cars and vehicles has been that in new developments
the roads have been designed first and then the houses fitted around them. The accepted road
hierarchy has dictated the planning of housing layouts from distributor roads down to cul-de-sac.

4. The geometry of modern road design and local authority regulation and practices has generally created
places that relate badly to their locality and are generally identical to one another.
Over the years the manner in which we use roads, streets and footpaths has adapted significantly. The
lesson from history is that such use will continue to change and our response should be to
accommodate change without over-reacting. This is particularly evident in the programme of traffic
calming measures deemed to be required for suburban roads as a result of the of the initial, well
intentioned, but now evidently excessive provision for the car in the original design.
In new residential areas it is the sense of place that should have priority. In the making of new quarters
in our towns and cities it is not the road layout but the relationship of buildings to each other to create
elegant spaces that is paramount. It should be the aim of all involved in providing housing that new
developments should be based on a network of spaces rather than a hierarchy of roads and a layout in
which roads play their part but are not dominant.
Most of our older towns and cities have a network of spaces whether they be medieval market town,
Georgian square or Victorian suburb. Although their original functions may have changed, the hierarchy
of such places can be easily recognised. The layout remains the key to people’s understanding of the
place; in other words it is legible. This hierarchy of spaces frequently has the effect of calming traffic,
even though that was not one of the original objectives of those who laid them out.
By their nature modern housing developments have a more uniform function and use than our historic
town centres. While the encouragement of less rigid zoning patterns to create mixed use is important, it
is critical that the buildings and spaces are arranged to create a legible layout. Density, building forms
and enclosure are the most important elements in creating a legible place that has a clear sense of local
identity, with movement networks that enhance these qualities. However, in Ireland, it has only been
possible to implement such principles where the local authority planners and roads engineers were
willing to consider using established codes from other jurisdictions. The road standards specified in
most local authority development plans need upgrading to provide for communities designed on the
principles outlined above. In order to implement the Governments policy on sustainable development, it
is critical that national roads standards embodying the principles of the British (DETR Design Bulletin 32)
or the Dutch road design principles should be adapted on a national basis.
Area Action Plans, Framework Plans and Masterplanning
In all residential schemes of significant size the preparation of a framework plan should be established at
the outset either by the local authority planners or private consultants. This should define the principles
of the layout of spaces, streets, squares, courtyards and how movement relates to them. The framework
plan should be flexible enough to accommodate change as the development progresses, yet robust
enough to ensure that these principles are implemented with any variation from the original.
The principal functions of the framework plan are
* to ensure that key characteristics are taken into account at the outset.
* to establish the overall form of development, based on the density and layout of buildings and spaces.
* to illustrate the contribution of the roads and streets network to the spatial hierarchy, as well as linking
the development to the rest of the locality.
* create place of distinction drawing inspiration from a neighbourhood’s character
* harness intrinsic site assets and resources
Over the decade there has been a parallel evolution in the approach of architects and planners to the
manner in which we create new residential communities in countries as diverse as the United Kingdom,
Netherlands, Germany, the United States, and more recently in Ireland schemes are emerging based on
these principles. The following is an indicative range of such schemes:

5. Poundbury:
At Poundbury, Leon Krier is laying out the new town on the basis of a
masterplan. This establishes a network of spaces where vehicles
have full access but primacy is given the creation of coherent,
attractive neighbourhoods.
Calvine, Sacramento
The Specific Area Plan for Sacramento County in California
establishes the framework for two mixed-use developments
connected to a planned extension of the regions light rail system.
The Plan is an important tool in that it provides for integrated
neighbourhood plans across multiple property ownership, particularly
relevant on a site which has so different ownerships ranging form 2 to
280 acres.
Coldharbour Farm:
Coldharbour Farm, a 200 acre site west of Aylesbury, In England, is
being developed to a masterplan based on four village centres. Each
centre has a public building such as a health centre, school or pub
and is sited within walking distance of neighbouring houses.
Pelletstown:
An Area Action Plan by Dublin Corporation envisages a new quarter
to the north west of Dublin city bounded by the Tolka Valley and the
Royal Canal. The plan envisages two local centres and railway
stations with densities ranging from 150/hectare at the local centres to
70/hectare at the periphery
Saggart:
An Area Action Plan prepared by South Dublin County Council plans
a major new quarter as an extension to Saggart village. The plan
envisages the creation of a series of streets, squares and courtyards
integrating with the former listed buildings and with the village fabric

6. Evolving Planning & Design Policy
There is a growing recognition that there is a need for the development of improved planning policy and
practice in the planning of new residential development and the assessment of urban housing potential.
Through the RIAI/IPI Committee activities of the RIAI/DOE Joint Housing Committee on housing density
and in their conferences and seminars there has been a growing acknowledgement that the combination
of an innovative design-led approach to housing design with a more flexible approach to planning policy
- particularly on density and car parking standards, can unlock the full potential of new development
sites which traditional planning standards inhibit. It is intended this publication will contribute to this
process and encourage;
Introduction of new national housing and road design standards,
•
Acquisition of new skills by architects in housing design,
•
Acquisition of new skills in the approach to residential road design,
•
Changes to county development plans to favour new housing standards based on proven and
•
established patterns of making towns,
Acceptance by house builders, housing associations and local authorities of the merits of these
•
alternative methods of building communities,
Raising of standards in housing and urban design in our residential communities.
•
Summary
The pressure to provide new homes in the early decades of the twenty first century in Ireland will not
decrease. Accordingly we can anticipate that issues of making towns, spaces and housing design and
layout will continue to be important. The concerns that have been expressed at the quantity of homes
that need to be provided to cope with our growing population and changing demographics is based
mainly on the quality of what has been built before and on the traffic implications of continuing this form
of development.
There is a growing recognition within our society that the patterns of town expansion of the past half
century are not appropriate if we are to create a sustainable environment. In the future we must meet the
demand by building places based on the principles of an appropriate framework plan, respecting local
character, form and distinctive place while achieving better densities and layouts as well as a high
quality public realm. Only then we may anticipate that the future growth of our villages, towns and cities
will be a contribution to their overall enhancement.
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Llewelyn Davies: “Urban Design Compendiumquot;,
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7. Joel Garreau: “Edge City, Life on the New Frontierquot;,
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