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ICLRD to participate in review panel for the Regional Development Strategy in Northern Ireland

ICLRD has been asked to participate in a working group for the a major review of the Regional Development Strategy in Northern Ireland. As noted by the Minister for Regional Development, Conor Murphy, MP, MLA, the "review is an important opportunity to develop the long-term future of the north." John Driscoll, the ICLRD Director will represent ICLRD in the working group.

ICLRD invited to sit on panel for Review of Village Design Statements

Dr. Brendan O’Keeffe, Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick and Caroline Creamer, NIRSA, NUI Maynooth, both research associates with the International Centre for Local and Regional Development, have been invited to sit on a panel focusing on the review of Village Design Statements (VDSs). The review is being commissioned by the Heritage Council, the Irish national heritage agency with a role in proposing policies and priorities for the identification, protection, preservation and enhancement of the natural and built environment.

Village Design Statements are non-statutory, simple but effective design guidance documents which are prepared by, and aim to reflect the visions and desires of local people. It is thought that fifteen counties in the Republic of Ireland have prepared Village Design Statements but, to date, no evaluation has been carried out on their effectiveness or usefulness. The review now being commissioned by the Heritage Council, with the overall objective of examining the ways in which VDS projects have progressed and developed in Ireland and their adoption as Supplementary Planning Guidance, will take place over the coming summer.

The Heritage Council has appointed the Countryside and Community Research Unit (CCRI), University of Gloucestershire and BDOR Limited to undertake the evaluation of VDSs in Ireland. It is envisaged that a final report will be submitted by the consultants in mid-September, with the findings to be presented at a conference on Village Design Statements in October 2008. Other members of the Steering Committee include: Niall Cussen, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government; Dara Larkin, South Dublin County Council; and Deirdre Burns, Wicklow County Council.

Housing Conference 08 in Cork
"Shared Future - Shaping the Fabric of Our Communities"

Conference of the Isles, April 24-25, 2008

Creating sustainable communities is a major challenge facing housing programmes on the island of Ireland, the UK and elsewhere. The 08 Conference of the Isles was held in Cork and featured speakers offering interesting case examples on promoting sustainable communities. ICLRD helped to sponsor the event as part of its wider action research programme in sustainable communities. Emerging findings from the ICLRD's research were presented at the conference. More information can be found on the conference by downloading the pdf provided by the conference organisers.

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The report on the Third Annual ICLRD Conference, Fostering Co-operation for Local and Regional Development through Cross Border Spatial Planning, is now avaliable

On January 17, 2008 in Armagh, the ICLRD together with InterTradeIreland hosted a conference on Fostering Co-operation for Local and Regional Development through Cross Border Spatial Planning. The conference was opened jointly by Batt O'Keeffe TD, Minister for Housing, Urban Renewal and Developing Areas, and Conor Murphy MP MLA, Minister for Regional Development. The ICLRD is continuing to support the development of an all-island collaborative framework for spatial planning through its action research programmes, technical workshops and forums, addressing three spatial scales: EU and all-island, sub-regional and local. This third annual conference addressed current opportunities for cross-border collaboration and highlighted ICLRD activities that contribute to an understanding of the complex all-island and cross-border dynamics of change in cities, towns and rural areas.

Download conference report
Read conference press release and download conference presentations and audio files

Launch of The Atlas of the Island of Ireland

On the occasion of the International Centre for Local and Regional Development's (ICLRD) third annual conference on January 17, 2008, ICLRD and the All-Island Research Observatory launched The Atlas of the Island of Ireland, a set of detailed full color maps and cartograms of varied socio-economic indicators across the island. Justin Gleeson, Rob Kitchin, Brendan Bartley, John Driscoll, Ronan Foley, Stewart Fotheringham and Chris Lloyd co-authored the atlas.

Pamphlet and order form for The Atlas of the Island of Ireland
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Conference on Cross-Border Territories: Day-to-Day Europe in November 2007

In November 2007, 800 persons from 36 countries in Europe attended the MOT conference in Lille on Cross-Border Territories: Day-to-Day Europe. ICLRD facilitated the attendance by councillors and officials from Dundalk Town Council and the Newry and Mourne District Council.

Charlie Casey, Deputy Mayor of the Newry and Mourne District Council and Jim Darcy, Chairman of the Dundalk Town Council participated in a plenary panel discussion on the Newry Dundalk Twin City Project. Gerard McGivern of the Newry and Mourne District Council and Frank Pentony of the Dundalk Town Council also attended the conference. Andy Pollak, the Director of the Centre for Cross Border Studies and an ICLRD partner, also attended the conference and presented the work of CCBS

The conference report, Manifesto for Cross-Border Cooperation in Europe, provides recommendations from 12 workshops covering a range of cross-border topics.

Progress report, June 2007 - Implementing a Framework for Collaborative Action:Spatial Strategies on the Island of Ireland

This report provides an update of current initiatives related to developing a collaborative framework for spatial strategies on the Island of Ireland. The report also summarizes key messages and presentations from the November 2006 Conference.
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Read more about ICLRD's research on cross-border collaborative frameworks

Report on Spatial Strategies on the Island of Ireland by International Centre for Local and Regional Development

A research report, Spatial Strategies on the Island of Ireland, by the International Centre for Local and Regional Development (ICLRD) on how to advance joined-up planning for the island of Ireland was the subject of discussion by the British and Irish Inter-Governmental Conference. Undertaken for InterTradeIreland by ICLRD, this report outlines how the island of Ireland is on a clear and irrevocable path of growth and that a framework for collaborative action on spatial and strategic infrastructure is required to guide existing and potential development opportunities. The study is available from the InterTradeIreland website or by clicking here.

Local Development in Cross-Border Micro-regions and Community Development Initiatives in Interface Communities

With the support of the International Fund for Ireland, ICLRD is undertaking applied research and developing training programmes to support innovative approaches to local development in cross-border micro-regions and community development initiatives in interface communities.
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