LIMERICK is a “model in urban regeneration” and should continue what it is doing in regenerating the city, according to representatives of the world’s largest group of experts in property and land use.
Members from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) said on a visit to Limerick that the city’s progress in urban regeneration has been a model for other urban areas nationally and internationally.
On the first visit to an Irish city outside Dublin, members of the Irish chapter of the ULI heaped praise on Limerick, leaving with the message to “keep doing what you’re doing”, but outlined that government support to bring disused Georgian buildings back into use will be essential.
The members visited the Treaty City at the request of Limerick Twenty Thirty and Limerick City and County Council, and took in some of Limerick’s architectural landmarks, such as King John’s Castle, the Gardens International Building on Henry Street, the Georgian Quarter, Limerick Civic Trust and the Opera Centre site.
ULI chair Marie Hunt said that the delegation was impressed with Limerick’s progress over the past 10 years.
“We’re very impressed with the road that Limerick has travelled over the last decade or so. The developments already completed here in the city centre, like Gardens International, and the ones underway like Opera Square reflect just how forward-thinking Limerick is,” Ms Hunt said.
The ULI chair added that “the ambition the city has is very clear. There’s a huge emphasis on placemaking, public realm, sustainability, all of the things that are hugely important both to occupiers and investors in the world we live in today and will live in tomorrow.”
Andrew Kinsella, ULI Ireland coordinator said that “what strikes me about it is there is a ‘whole of city’ approach to everything, a level of collaboration between the public sector and private sector that we don’t hear enough about in Ireland”.
“It’s interesting that we often refer to cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen and we look abroad for great examples. And as someone from Dublin, what strikes me is Limerick has an awful lot going on here that I think other cities and towns in Ireland could learn from.”
Limerick Twenty Thirty CEO David Conway said that “this was a very important visit for us because it was an opportunity to showcase Limerick, our progress and, indeed, road-test our plans for the future to the Irish representatives of the largest network of property and land use experts in the world”.
