Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Stumbling Block Of Social Housing Stalls O’Devaney Gardens, Lorcan Sirr

Media

Last week, Dublin city council (DCC) resolved a dispute with its own councillors over the regeneration of O’Devaney Gardens, a council estate behind Arbour Hill in Dublin. Named after Bishop O’Devaney, who was hanged at Arbour Hill in 1612 as a friend of Tyrone rebel chief Hugh O’Neill, O’Devaney Gardens is a 1950s corporation-built estate of 300 flats in 12 (originally 13) blocks.

European Road Trip Reveals Housing Sectors United By Strife, Lorcan Sirr

Media

I recently undertook a 6,000km road trip that began in Glenties, in Co Donegal, and went as far as Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina, before returning home via Trieste in Italy. During the trip the housing similarities and challenges that many European countries face became evident.

Rental Sector Reform Must Look At The European Dimension, Lorcan Sirr

Media

One of the key points of interest for me in Rebuilding Ireland, the recently published Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, was how it proposed to deal with reform of security of tenure in the private rental sector. Under the plan, where a landlord proposes to sell 20 or more units within a single scheme, the tenants can remain in situ “other than in exceptional circumstances”. Hopefully, this will be amended in due course; the proposal affects few landlords, offers protection to only a small proportion of tenants, and is riddled with legal holes. I would argue that landlords with …

Beware Profit-Driven Lobbyists When It Comes To Housing Policy, Lorcan Sirr

Media

Lobbying involves trying to influence political decisions using various forms of advocacy that is targeted at policymakers, usually on behalf of amembers’ interest group, organisation or professional body. At its most benign, lobbying merely provides policymakers with information and legislative support; at its worst, it is selfserving and is self-promotion of often lucrative vested interests

We Must Count On Policy Change To Halt Obsolete Housing Rate, Lorcan Sirr

Media

The recent preliminary findings of this year’s census have thrown up some curious housing results. A little numbercrunching shows that we’ve not been adding as many houses each year as headline figures would suggest. Official completion numbers tell us that between 2011 and 2016, just 18,981 additional houses—or 0.94%—were added to the state’s overall housing stock, or an average of 3,796 a year. For comparison, at the 2006 census we had added 21%, and in 2011 it was 13%. We have effectively not increased our national housing stock in the past six years.

To Tackle The Housing Crisis, We Need To Talk About Ownership, Lorcan Sirr

Media

The rights and obligations that go with property ownership are important issues in any country trying to control its housing stock, resolve a housing crisis or create a functioning system. The concept of ownership is not clear cut: there is common ownership, as seen on the pampas and prairies, and in the outback; shared ownership, in India and China; temporal ownership, in medieval France and now Catalonia; and subservient ownership, where the Earth belongs only to its creator.

Generation Rent Needs Grown-Up Housing Guidelines Now, Lorcan Sirr

Media

The private rented sector in Ireland accommodates 705,000 people in 324,000 tenancies—in properties owned by 172,000 registered landlords. In the past 18 months alone there has been an increase of 12,000 registered landlords.

Coveney Must Grasp The Nettle Of A Flawed Housing Report, Lorcan Sirr

Media

On June 17, the Oireachtas committee on housing and homelessness published its report after convening in April. It interviewed 38 witnesses and received about 82 submissions from the public and various bodies. These reports do not write themselves, so the committee must be commended for its efforts. Indeed, as I suspect many of its members did not appreciate the infinite complexities of housing, apart from the normal personal experiences, what they have read and constituents’ queries. They did well to get their heads around some of the main issues involved. The final report has some good recommendations but it misses …

The State Needs To Supply Its Own Housing — To Save Money, Lorcan Sirr

Media

Much debate about housing has centred on proposed solutions such as the Central Bank’s lending limits and a reduction in VAT for developers. The Department of the Environment’s contribution managed to bypass the democratic process, ignore its own civil service rules, then introduce newmandatory smaller apartment sizes, which, it said, would bring down costs and stimulate development. Of course, such a crude move did no such thing—just as reducing VAT for developers and lifting bank lending ratios for lenders will not create an affordable housing system. These “solutions” are like Nero fiddling as Rome burned behind him.

Time To Monitor Airbnb’S Impact On Dublin’S Housing Crisis, Lorcan Sirr

Media

A few weeks ago, I attended the Association for Law, Property and Society conference in Belfast. This event is normally held in America, so neither the US participants nor I knew the city. It was time for an experiment and, at £115 (€148) for a central two-bedroom apartment, Airbnb was cheaper than a hotel.

The Impact Of Cargo Bikes On The Travel Patterns Of Women, Jana E. Schwartz

Master's Theses

There are a number of issues preventing the rollout of cargo bikes as a transportation mode in the United States. One concern that has been raised is whether cargo bikes can function as a gender equitable transportation solution in the United States, given documented gender gaps in national bike riding statistics and ongoing inequities in childcare in 2-parent heterosexual households. The research is aimed at reviewing the practicality, enjoyment, and outcome of cargo bike use as a gender equitable transportation solution. This research contributes to new knowledge in gender equitable transportation in 2 ways — a) gender-focused analysis of survey …

Bring Back State-Run Social Housing, Lorcan Sirr

Media

Two weeks ago I was in what remains of O’Devaney Gardens, the social housing complex off Dublin’s North Circular Road, filming a programme with RTE. O’Devaney Gardens,behind Dublin’s Arbour Hill Prison, was built in the early 1950s, and named after a Bishop O’Devaney, a friend of 16th-century resistance leader Hugh O’Neill. O’Devaney was hanged in 1612 in the Arbour Hill area for treason . In recognition of his greatness, three centuries later 13 blocks of flats were named after him.

The Crisis In Housing Has Deep Roots And Supply Alone Will Not Resolve It., Tom Dunne

Conference papers

Ireland is suffering a housing crisis which will not be easily solved. This is not the first generation to struggle with housing problems. A review of history shows that property markets have pronounced cycles and a continual struggle to provide affordable housing with much direct state provision and extensive subsidises for home ownership. Part of the current crisis results from the abandonment of direct provision of housing by the state but the gradual withdrawal subsidies for owner occupation, has also made a contribution to making home ownership less affordable for many.

A crucial part of dealing with the crisis is …

Where Is The Realism In The State’S ‘Hotchpotch’ Programme?, Lorcan Sirr

Media

The publication of the new programme for government brought fewsurprises. It astonished nobody that two of its most significant components were ending the housing shortage and homelessness, and boosting jobs and rural development. The document weighs in at a hefty 155 pages, which averages out at 2.67 pages per government member and supporter. It seems as though every idea from every corner, no matter how unrealistic, was included to garner support. There were positives. It broadly identifies many pertinent issues, including the need for political leadership, tackling homelessness and promoting tenants’ rights. It aims to review building standards and says …

From Empty Lot To Garden Plot: Urban Agriculture In Chula Vista, Jennifer E. Gutierrez

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This project is an exploration of how agriculture can be incorporated into the fabric of the city of Chula Vista, which has both uniquely urban and suburban areas. The proposal is to integrate agriculture as a design tool to reconnect to the city’s agricultural past and as a model for cities of the future. First, I discuss Chula Vista’s history and contemporary context, including demographics. I review the existing urban agriculture policies Chula Vista has and compare them to other cities in California. The second part of the project is concerned with how to choose and develop a site for …

Impromptu Domesticity: Housing Adaptations By The Marshallese In Springdale, Ar, Kera Lathan

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study analyzes the relationship between people and their spatial environment through the lens of cultural practices and experiences. By using theories of cultural identity and activity patterns to compare spatial usage in two differing circumstances, this study will help to better understand the spatial needs of Marshallese living in Springdale, Arkansas.

The analysis uses two in-depth interviews to establish a base of qualitative data to understand the unique needs of this specific population. Through constructs such as spatial fluidity, sharing culture, and ability to adapt to new spatial practices, the two cases are compared to one another in order …

Time For A Fresh Look At Housing As Eu Report Shames Ireland, Lorcan Sirr

Media

Now that a new minority administration is here, it’s time to look at ways this government can improve on previous ones. One positive step could be to take on board the findings of a recent EU report on procurement practices. Entitled “public procurement—a study on administrative capacity in the EU”, it looks at the systems and structures of individual member states.

You Can Forget About A Housing Recovery With Our Skills Drain, Lorcan Sirr

Media

Over the past 10 years or so, civil service and local authority staffing levels have been dramatically reduced. Those who retired have not been replaced, and other employees have left for the private sector or have taken early retirement because they were unhappy with pay cuts and changes to their contracts.

The results have been mixed. No doubt money has been saved through reduced state pay and some of the employees who left might have been of limited value in the first place. Workloads have increased for those left behind, but there have also been costs that show not all …

Transitional Urban Voids In Austin, Texas, Courtney A. Tarver

Landscape Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

A city’s urban fabric is constantly evolving through development and decay under the fluctuating rates of habitation. Cities are growing rapidly as populations climb higher, with new demands for the incoming waves of people seeking employment and a place to call home. Austin, Texas is the fastest growing American city today, with a population growth rate of three percent per year. With this growth and its demands for open space, open spaces in the form of urban voids and temporary use spaces become an interest to designers as spaces with flexibility. The approach of this thesis is to understand these …

The Impact Of Successful Ncaa Division I Athletics Programs On The Social Capital Of Urban Communities, Paul Woody

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examined how urban communities might grow social capital from the passion and support offered by a college athletics program. Given the increasing emphasis on fiscal responsibility from local governments and public universities, recognizing how college athletics programs influence local community social capital, such as anchor attachments formed by alumni and fans, is an important perspective. Historically, the exhausted conversation has focused on economics, such as the economic impact of athletic venues and franchises. (Coates, 2007; Crompton, 2004). Through decades of research, social capital has been measured at various depths and viewed through social, economic, psychological, and even historical …

Low-Cost Housing Is Possible Only If We Prioritise Value For Money, Lorcan Sirr

Media

Assessing value for money is nowstandard practice for government departments and agencies. These bodies, including the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor- General, evaluate the economy and efficiency with which state bodies acquire, use and dispose of resources. This is a positive step in a state system that isn’t very keen on post-hoc evaluation. Since 2009, the Department of the Taoiseach has insisted that all legislation be subject to a regulatory impact assessment—to identify likely positive and negative outcomes of projects. To date, very little legislation has been subject to such an assessment. Evidence is still a dirty word in …

Building Regulations Are In A Terrible State, But I Have A Solution, Lorcan Sirr

Media

Inspection of buildings by the state during construction and on completion has led to a huge gap in Ireland’s building history. An almost total lack of state inspection—and, since 1990, a reliance on self-regulation —has contributed to situations such as those at Priory Hall in Dublin and Millfield Manor in Kildare.

If We’Re Playing By The Rules, It Has To Be A Good Game, Lorcan Sirr

Media

In the 2015 book Rule Breakers, author Niamh Hourigan postulates that Ireland’s success and downfall was due to personal relationships being much more important than rules. She says that a “weak rules and strong relationships” tension permeates Irish life, and not only at the top. This seems to have led to Ireland having a reputation of being friendly and open, and an easy place in which to do business. It has also created a place where corruption has been far too easy and widespread as a result of the power and influence of relationships.

That’S Enough Talking, Let’S Have A Proper Plan For Housing, Lorcan Sirr

Media

On March 31 acting environment minister Alan Kelly assembled the third housing and homeless forum in two years. It brought together housing NGOs, Nama, local authorities and bodies such as the Central Bank and Construction Industry Federation, as well as TDs from all political parties. The forum was interesting for a few reasons. First, the issues facing housing haven’t changed in the past 24 months. If anything, they’ve intensified, but the underlying problems remain the same. Second, the participant responses will have been mainly the same, too, although also intensified. So why have such an event?

Deposit Scheme Is Welcome — But We’Re Still Playing Catch-Up, Lorcan Sirr

Media

As an increasing number of people find permanent homes in the private rental sector, issues of contention between landlords and tenants will be more frequent. Right nowabout 3% of the population has the legal right to evict more than 20% of households, and so security of tenure will become a key area of debate and discussion. The issue must be addressed, unless government is happy for a significant proportion of its population to exist at the whim of a much smaller percentage, and is willing to deal with the social, health and economic fallout from that.

Cyclist Path Choices Through Shared Space Intersections In England, Allison Boyce Duncan

Dissertations and Theses

In the last several years, there has been growing worldwide interest in making streets safer for all users--pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. One approach, shared space, is a traffic calming technique as well as urban design concept. This technique strives to fully integrate the roadway into the urban fabric by removing elements such as lane markings, curbs, and traffic signs. By removing these elements and creating a more plaza-like space, these sites become ambiguous and no user group as priority. The technique is relatively new, and the majority of existing research concerns pedestrians only. This mixed methods research focused on six …

Want To End Rental Bias? Start Building More Social Housing., Lorcan Sirr

Media

When the rent supplement was introduced in 1977 for people in financial need within the private rented sector, the intention was that it would be temporary. Almost 40 years on, it is stillwith us.

Room For Improvement In Kelly’S End-Of-Term Report Card, Lorcan Sirr

Media

As the newgovernment is formed, history may not be kind to Alan Kelly and his tenure as minister for the environment. Many will argue he has presided over a department that has made housing and development more difficult, not less, and that he has put the interests of lobby groups before consumers. Most recently, he has annexed local government by giving his department the power to set planning policy by diktat with no reference to local politicians or the public. It’s easy to forget that there has been an actual minister for housing, Paudie Coffey, who went under the radar …

Complicated Ideology Is Costing The State Its Social Housing., Lorcan Sirr

Media

Credit should always be given where it’s due. Noel Dempsey therefore deserves a paragraph in Irish housing history for his innovative move in 2000, when, as environment minister, he decreed that developers must set aside one unit for social or affordable housing for every four they build.

Airborne Lidar Acquisition, Post-Processing And Accuracy-Checking For A 3d Webgis Of Copan, Honduras, Jennifer Von Schwerin, Heather Richards-Rissetto, Fabio Remondino, Maria Grazia Spera, Michael Auer, Nicolas Billen, Lukas Loos, Laura Stelson, Markus Reindel

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

Archaeological projects increasingly collect airborne LiDAR data to use as a remote sensing tool for survey and analysis. Publication possibilities for LiDAR datasets, however, are limited due to the large size and often proprietary nature of the data. Fortunately, web-based, geographic information systems (WebGIS) that can securely manage temporal and spatial data hold great promise as virtual research environments for working with and publishing LiDAR data. To test this and to obtain new data for archaeological research, in 2013, the MayaArch3D Project (www.mayaarch3d.org) collected LiDAR data for the archaeological site of Copan, Honduras. Results include: 1) more accurate archaeological maps, …