Challenges for waterfront development

Examples from Belfast and Dublin

Dr Jenny Muir

12th September 2012

Introduction to Belfast’s waterfront 1791: First shipyard 1840s: Belfast Harbour Commissioners dredged and straightened the river

to form the Victoria Channel – and paid for new shipyards, dry docks and reclaimed land from 1850s

‘Golden Age’ of shipbuilding 1880 – 1914 including Titanic Decline of shipbuilding from 1970s, last ship built in 2003 1989: Laganside Urban Development Corporation, 200 hectares: offices,

private apartments, construction of weir UDC wound up in 2007, area now administered by Department of Social

Development e.g. public space, river and weir 2001: work starts on site preparation and Masterplan for Titanic Quarter 2005: TQ site lease bought by Harcourt Developments from Fred Olsen

Shipping Co. – freehold owned by Belfast Harbour Commissioners

Titanic Quarter outline 75 hectare site on East side of

river; plus 10 hectares Northern Ireland Science Park

Phase 1 (2001 - 2012)o *475 apartments & marinao *Gateway office building: Citibanko *Belfast Metropolitan Collegeo *New Public Records Office

Phase 2 (2007 – present)o *Titanic Belfast museum (for 2012

anniversary)o *Film studios (refurbishment)o Approx. 2000 apartments

including social/ affordable o Leisure and office facilitieso Small-scale retail, hotel

Titanic Quarter today

Belfast’s waterfront

Introduction to Dublin’s waterfront Port activity from mid-17th century Gradual move outwards from the city during 18th and 19th centuries Departure point for America during Famine (1840s – 1860s), now

commemorated by public art and replica Famine ship No shipbuilding industry – important working Port to this day Waterfront decline began to be addressed in 1980s 1986: Custom House Docks Development – Urban Development

Corporation:o Part of a national level Urban Renewal Scheme but also had its own

planning powerso Included construction of the International Financial Services

Centre, important for the ‘Celtic Tiger’ boom

Dublin Docklands outline Approx. 500 hectares Overseen by Dublin Docklands Development Authority, a statutory body

created by DDDA Act 1997 Includes statutory community involvement forum Aims:

o Sustainable social and economic regeneration of the area (both sides of the River Liffey)

o Improve physical environmento Secure continued development of financial services industry in the

area Masterplan issued every 5 years, most recent is 2008 Separate planning process, not controlled by Dublin City Council Recent announcement that DDDA is to be wound up following a damning

audit report – conflict of interest on the Board

Dublin Docklands today

Selected challenges in waterfront development

Connectivity

Heritage – a big responsibility

Housing

Public subsidy – not if but how

Responding to the unexpected

Connectivity – the challenge of getting there ‘Real’ distance: transport of all kinds built into phase 1 which

requires public sector investment upfront ‘Imagined’ distance: making the waterfront a destination for

locals, tourists and employers – connecting with the rest of the world e.g. Belfast Our Time Our Place campaign (below)

Technical connectivity: broadband

Connectivity example: Dublin – ‘real’ distance

Samuel Beckett bridge: connecting North and South of the River Liffey, 2009

LUAS tram on the North side only: connecting the Docklands O2 Centre concert hall with the city’s main bus station and two of the main train stations, 2009

Heritage – the responsibility of selling history How are the topics selected? Why are they considered

important? Whose history? Presented for whom? Example - Titanic Quarter:

o Heritage ‘offer’ based on one ship not shipbuilding as a wholeo Important for Belfast to situate itself in the lucrative Titanic industry:

‘she was all right when she left here’o The story is presented as heroic – pushing technological boundarieso Located in a modern ‘signature building’ while the adjacent Harland

& Wolff HQ - including the Drawing Office where the ship was designed - is half derelict

o Sectarianism in the shipyards’ history is played downo The story is presented primarily for tourists and the Irish diaspora o It’s expensive!o However the memorialisation is sensitive and well done

Heritage example: Titanic Belfast.....

Memorialisation of 1,502 lives.....

.....and the Drawing Office

Housing – opportunities for all? Belfast Titanic Quartero No housing on site before the

redevelopmento No planning obligation to provide

social or affordable housingo Perhaps some concern that social

housing would damage attempts to make the redevelopment ‘shared space’ between Protestants and Catholics

o Affordable housing in Phase 2 – but when?

o Falling value of apartments for sale bought off plan caused mortgage difficulties for some purchasers

Dublin Docklandso Established residential

community before the redevelopment - lots of social housing

o Political pressure to improve housing conditions as part of the development

o Strong residents’ organisations and presence on DDDA Board

o One notorious flats complex demolished, 20% social or affordable housing requirement introduced, template for legislation

Housing: Dublin Docklandso 3.300 new homes, 20% social or affordableo Investment purchases in early years led to transient new populationo Low space standards in some of the first apartment developmentso Social mismatch between new and longer-standing residentso Families not attracted to owner occupation in the areao BUT 20% social or affordable housing achieved

Public subsidy example: Titanic Quarter

Titanic Belfast (museum):• NI Tourist Board £36.5m• Belfast City Council £10m (Memorandum of Understanding)

-Jobs & apprenticeships- Affordable housing

(£30m private sector)

Others:• Graving Dock/ PumpHouse: £1.2m NITB, £1.5m Dept of Environment• EU Peace III £2.27m Nomadic historic tug boat• Public Records Office £30m• College £44m

Responding to the unexpected: Titanic Studios

http://www.northernirelandscreen.co.uk/sections/10/the-paint-hall-studio.aspx