Greater Dublin Area Draft Transport Strategy 2011-2030

National Spatial Strategy (NSS)The National Spatial Strategy 2002 to 2020 is atwenty year national planning framework designedto deliver more balanced social, economic andphysical development between regions. Thestrategy emphasises continued strong growth inthe GDA, but with significant improvement in theregions outside the capital – in particular in ninegateway cities and nine hub towns.Key elements of the strategy include:• The need for Ireland to renew, consolidate anddevelop its existing cities, towns and villages– keeping them physically compact, publictransport friendly and minimising urban sprawl;• Balanced regional development, encouragingeach region to reach its full potential andcontribute to the overall performance of thestate on a sustainable economic, social andenvironmental basis; and• Strategic planning guidance for a range ofGovernment policies and regional and local plans.The NSS provides the policy framework for allregional and local plans, including the RPGs for theGreater Dublin Area (see below).National Cycle Planning Policy Framework2009-2020Ireland’s first National Cycle Policy Frameworkwas launched in April 2009. It outlines 19specific objectives, and details 109 individual butintegrated actions, which include:• Moving 160,000 people a day to work by bike -an increase of 125,000 people;• Introducing cycle-friendly routes to schools,better bike parking facilities in schools and safecycle skills in school classrooms;• Reducing the volume of through traffic in thevicinity of schools and colleges;• Investing in better, safer cycle routes aroundthe country for commuters, leisure cyclists andvisitors (improving existing cycle routes andintroducing new routes to best internationalstandards);• Ensuring integration of public transport andcycling (more trains or buses to carry bikesas standard);• Investing in new, safe cycle parking facilities intowns and cities around the country;• Introducing a new approach to the design ofurban roads to better recognise the needs ofcyclists and pedestrians;• Retrofitting major road junctions and roadwaysin key cities and towns to make them cyclefriendly;and• Developing cycling demonstration townsshowing best practice in cycle-friendly urbanplanning, design and engineering.The National Cycle Policy Framework aims toensure that a cycling culture is developed in Irelandto the extent that, by 2020, 10% of all journeyswill be by bike.Retail Planning GuidelinesThe national Retail Planning Guidelines for PlanningAuthorities (RPGPA) 8 recommend a sequentialapproach to provision of new retail space. Asfar as possible new development is to be sitedwithin town centres or, if no sites are available,immediately on the edge of town centres witha presumption against development elsewhere,except where district or neighbourhood centresare being provided to meet neighbourhood needs.Alternative out of centre sites should be consideredonly where it can be demonstrated that thereare no town centre or edge of centre sites whichare suitable, viable and available. Within theDublin area the Guidelines note there are twolarge scale regional shopping centres which havebeen planned as the commercial centre of newtowns – Blanchardstown and Tallaght, and that thedevelopment of additional large regional scale retailcentres on greenfield sites or outside establishedcentres is not regarded as sustainable in relation totransport objectives.8 Retail Planning - Guidelines for Planning Authorities -DoEHLGJanuary 2005Chapter 2: page 7 www.2030vision.ie