8.3 - Challenges

Key challenges for the city include the following:

Addressing Climate Change through Sustainable Mobility

Ireland is committed to cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 51% by 2030 and to achieve this, a significant mode shift to active travel and public transport as well as decarbonised/low carbon mobility is required. Despite a positive shift in the travel behaviours of commuters, congestion and transport related CO2 emission have continued to rise. One of the significant challenges is the need to enable and foster behavioural change to support continued mode shift to more sustainable transport options.

Effective Integration of Land use and Transportation

As a local authority responsible for the effective integration of land use and transportation through the planning system, we must work towards the management of access and mobility as a priority in delivering social, economic and environmental sustainability. One of the key challenges is to recognise the crucial role of transportation in delivering sustainable and liveable communities, including minimising the need to travel and ensuring that development takes place where active travel can successfully be promoted and there is access to high quality public transport networks.

Regional Connectivity and Approach to Mobility

The provision of integrated region wide public transport and cycle networks are crucial to facilitating mode shift across the region.

City Centre and Urban Villages – Access and Functional Needs

The city centre, and to an extent the urban villages, have to cater for a wide range of competing demands with public transport, pedestrians, cyclists, the private car, and the functional and servicing needs of the city economy being all active users of the existing road space. A key challenge is to balance these competing demands whilst facilitating the development and delivery of important public transport infrastructure, cycling infrastructure and ensuring the city remains a vibrant, attractive and accessible area for all. A further challenge includes the ability to retrofit these facilities within existing road and street networks taking into consideration the physical constraints of the built environment in the city centre and urban villages.

Embracing New Forms of Mobility

The Council recognises and welcomes the significant progression in the range of mobility options available to citizens, through the growth in use and availability of shared car and bicycle schemes, the increase in use of private micro-mobility options such as e-scooters and the expansion across all modes of electric powered devices and vehicles.

Building on this modal shift is key to sustainable transport whilst recognising the challenges to accommodate and encourage the use of these new forms of mobility.