UNIVERSITY of Limerick think tank, ‘The Intelligence Unit (IU)’ is showcasing a series of ideas for the future of the city at an exhibition launched this week at the Limerick City Gallery of Art.
The Intelligence Unit is a collaboration between the School of Architecture and the Kemmy Business School involving an eight-week programme where graduates and faculty bring their collective ideas and experiences to consider future directions for Limerick.
This work was undertaken in the context of the recent publication of the Limerick 2030 plan.
Four important themes emerged from the researchers’ analysis including: developing artisanal food networks, special areas of conservation, the occupation of the Georgian quarter and a programme to incentivise participation in education and upskilling.
Professor of architecture Merritt Bucholz said: “This is one opportunity to really change the city. After so many attempts to solve Limerick’s problems, it’s time to get new, fresh, design-led thinking.
“The School of Architecture has been producing IU workshops for several years, and it’s from this basis that the current project has emerged. This year has been a new departure for us. The collaboration with Stephen Kinsella and his colleagues at the KBS is helping to make our ideas realisable. This is only the beginning.”
One of the projects on food networks has already resulted in a new business being created – ArtFoodNet, which will launch later this year with two of the IU researchers as company directors.
Senior economics lecturer Dr Stephen Kinsella said: “IU has the potential to change how we do policy design in this country, and now we’ve proven the concept I think we need to make this model more widespread.”
The project brought people from outside academia to input and help test the robustness of the ideas including policy makers and entrepreneurs such as Paul Williams from Canteen Food Limerick, MobaNode CEO Shane Mc Allister, city officials, local residents and more.
The exhibition will run until this Friday, July 26.
