Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

295 Chapter 11: Environment and Transport POLICY YEAR OVERVIEW National Sustainable Mobility Policy (Department of Transport) 2022 The policy establishes a strategic framework for active travel (walking and cycling) and public transport to 2030 to assist Ireland in meeting its climate commitments. Five Cities Demand Management Study (Department of Transport) 2022 This study focuses on the five cities in Ireland and how travel demand management measures could be incorporated to reduce emissions and congestion and improve air quality. It was a key input to the draft strategy Moving Together (see above). National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland (NIFTI) 2021 A strategic framework to guide future investment in Ireland’s land transport network. It aligns with the broader goals of Project Ireland 2040 and aims to support sustainable development and decarbonisation. 6 www.gov.ie/en/publication/0b532-opportunities-for-transport-orientated-development-tod-in-major-urban-centres-dublin-study/ (accessed 31 July 2024). Avoid–shift–improve in an Irish context Technology-orientated efficiency improvements alone will not be sufficient to achieve the very substantial and urgent reductions in environmental pressures that are required. Instead, there is a need to complement incremental improvements to established systems with other measures addressing the scale or patterns of consumption. The following section describes some of the key ‘avoid–shift–improve’ actions that have potential in the Irish context. Avoidance actions Spatial planning. Compact development principles advocate higher population densities, mixed land use combining residential, commercial, recreational and other spaces, street connectivity, access to destinations by public transport, walking and cycling, and having public transport nodes within optimal distance of trip origins and destinations (Moriarty et al. , 2023). Some of the principles of compact living that overlap with proximity planning were tested in Irish urban areas, and several interventions are proposed in the work of Andersen (2021). By concentrating development, compactness helps preserve open spaces, agricultural land and natural habitats while also reducing infrastructure costs and the environmental impacts associated with urban expansion (Figure 11.14). The draft update to the National Planning Framework has set a target of at least 40% of all new housing to be built within existing built-up areas of cities, towns and villages (Government of Ireland, 2024). Increasing the attractiveness of brownfield over greenfield sites is important to meet the targets outlined in the National Planning Framework. This can be achieved by introducing green spaces and maintaining public spaces well rather than other interventions, such as a vacancy tax, which has been only partially effective (OECD, 2022). Land use is further discussed in Chapter 5. A transport-orientated development (TOD) working group was established in December 2021 under the Government’s Housing for All plan to consider opportunities for TOD in major urban centres to support compact growth, achieving climate action objectives and housing delivery. The working group published a report on TOD opportunities in Dublin 6 in June 2023.