Greater Dublin Area Draft Transport Strategy 2011-2030

The RPGs set the regional planning context for theStrategy. The RPG 2022 population and housingforecasts for each of the GDA local authorities(extrapolated to 2030) are the main demographicforecasts on which the Strategy is based. Thechallenge for the Strategy was to establish theGDA transport networks, services and supportingtransport policies that support the RPG planningframework for the region. It is a requirement of thelegislation establishing the Authority that the finalagreed Strategy be consistent with the RPGs.Retail Planning Strategy for the Greater DublinArea 2008-2016 (RPSGDA)The RPSGDA was published by the RegionalPlanning Guidelines Office in July 2008. It is a nonstatutorydocument which sets out an analysis ofthe future retail needs of the people in the GDAup to 2016 and seeks to give guidance to the localauthorities on where future retail facilities shouldbe provided and what issues need to be addressed.The RPSGDA sets out a retail hierarchy as follows:• Level 1 is Dublin City which will continue to bethe primary retail centre for the GDA;• Level 2 - retail facilities in county towns andmajor town centres as one element of theirmulti-functional role; and• Level 3 – A necklace of spatially balancedlower order centres providing for more regularlocal needs.The RPSGDA is the basis used for forecasting thelocation and scale of retail development throughoutthe GDA for the Strategy forecast year 2030. Inturn this enables the forecasting of the number ofshopping trips that will need to be served by thetransport networks and services included in the finalagreed Strategy.Core elements of the RPSGDA include:• Encouraging local shopping provision for lowerorder goods to reduce trip lengths; and• The linking of provision of new retail facilities topublic transport nodes.Chapter 2: page 9 www.2030vision.ie