There is an obvious solution to Dublin’s crippling capacity problem: move our Port and develop one of Dublin’s greatest natural assets into a new, gleaming city. Dublin is one of the last major cities that continues to have a port on its most valuable prime land. Cork is moving its port, and if it’s good enough for Cork, it’s good enough for Dublin.
In the past two decades Barcelona, Bremen, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Oslo, Bilbao, Buenos Aires, Genoa, London and Cape Town have all moved their ports and liberated the land to create beautiful new cities in which people can work, live and play. Auckland is doing the same. Old port cities realise that they no longer need ports to be at the mouth of rivers, as rivers are no longer used for transport.
Roads and rail are key to transport. Furthermore, transport depots do not need to be by the sea these days, but can be further inland at the nexus of inland motorway systems where land is much cheaper and people don’t want to live. The goods can be landed at a new, efficient port in containers, put onto automated trains, delivered 24/7 to a sorting depot and, from there, uploaded to trucks for delivery.
This is the future, driven – like so much else in the coming years – by the possibilities of data rather than the limitations of geography.
In contrast to inanimate freight, it is people who want to live on the water; people-based service industries want to be close to amenities and close to the sea. There is a reason why property with sea views is the most expensive. We do like to be beside the seaside.
We have hundreds of acres of such land in Dublin, but it is full of massive oil drums and empty containers – a huge waste of development land.
Wrong place
Before we explore the imperative of moving the port, let us acknowledge that Dublin Port management is doing a fine job in terms of managing trade in and out of the country. The problem with Dublin Port is that it is in the wrong place, and the opportunity cost of keeping the Port there is simply too big.
In a city with a massive housing and transport crisis, the opportunity cost of 640 acres of prime land occupied by a port that employs only 140 people is enormous. When you fly over it, you see that most of the land is unused most of the day and night.
Mirroring the density of, for example, Smithfield, we could build 40,000 units there and still have over 220 acres (10 times the size of St Stephen’s Green) for offices, retail, museums, sports facilities, parks, cafes, bars and clubs.
We have a crippling housing shortage, particularly around Dublin. People and businesses, like those in Silicon Docks, want to be close to the city not out in the suburbs. The Port is the obvious place for a New Dublin.
But rather than developing the jewel on the sea to the east of O’Connell Bridge, we are sprawling to the west, north and south. This low-density approach makes public transport expensive, makes citizens more car-dependent and makes planning for schools and hospitals contingent on where developers put the next remote estates.
An obvious medium-term solution to Dublin’s housing and planning problem encompasses a vision that completely reorients the city towards its most obvious natural resource: the sea.
A clear solution to Dublin’s congestion, high rents and office capacity problems is to move Dublin port north, integrate the new port with the motorway system and reclaim the entire area for high-density development. We could build a new Dublin on this land and create an entirely new city for the 21st century.
Enjoyed and used
The sea is something to be faced, enjoyed and used, rather than something to turn your back on. All over the world, old docks are now home to parks, museums, little harbours and thousands of tourists, as well as architecturally exciting residential developments and offices.
Places like Copenhagen, Oslo and Barcelona have also created new areas with low-rent artistic spaces, clubs, late-night bars and cafes.
At the moment Dublin Port is the greatest waste of prime land imaginable. The main part on the north side of the river comprises some 205 hectares (510 acres) at the end of East Wall and North Wall from Alexandra Quay. The port on the south side of the river is much smaller but still constitutes 51 hectares or 130 acres of prime development land with waterfront aspects within about a mile of the city centre.
As Dublin Port only employs 140 people, the costs of moving the port are small, given the huge potential prize.
The State could make a small fortune on the trade because the price of land in the port based on present valuations is between €8 million and €10 million an acre. Industrial land further up the coast is trading at around €20,000 an acre. Therefore, the State could sell the Port lands for between €6 billion and €7 billion, and build a new port at a fraction of the cost.
The underused Port Tunnel gives the new port city ideal initial infrastructure.
And because the Port is doing a good job, is well managed and is making a profit, the same expert management are well placed to deal with a move.
Remember the Port is owned by you, and you pay the opportunity cost in higher rents, house prices and daily congestion. The State is the shareholder and that means it’s yours. This type of deal makes common sense as well as commercial sense.
United economically
In 40 years, it’s highly likely on present demographic trends that Ireland will be more united economically and politically. Therefore, the Dublin-Belfast corridor, with half the population of the island, will be the most commercially significant part of the country. An international state-of-the-art port that serves this region situated around the northeast coast is an absolute must.
Transforming Dublin would take time but this is what great cities do: they build for the future with 100-year visions.
Think about the Dublin we know and celebrate now. All the squares, the streets, the landmark buildings, virtually all of what we now call “Dublin city centre” were built in the 1700s. It was the great 100-year project of the Anglo/Irish aristocracy.
O’Connell Street, Dame Street, College Green, Henry Street, the Quays, Grafton Street and virtually everything around them, including the front face of Trinity College (1759), City Hall (1769), The Customs House (1781), the Four Courts (1786), Leinster House (began 1745), Parliament House, now Bank of Ireland College Green (1729), the Guinness Brewery (1759), Abbey Street, Leeson Street, Baggot Street, Merrion Street, Dawson Street, Henrietta Street and everything else in between were built in the 1700s.
If they could build a magnificent city then, why can’t we build a beautiful new city now?
If moving Dublin Port is not in the Government’s latest national plan, surely it would be a great vote-winner for someone thinking of running for the directly elected mayor of the capital?
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David, Down with that sort of sensible thinking put that on the list of to do, functioning linked up public transport system, underground rail network in our major cities, train service to our main airport.
The same could be said for Galway hospital, there is a brownfield site near the interchange of the M18 and M6 called Galway Airport, apply the same logic, build a regional hospital on the edge of Galway on the closed airport site with great motorway access still only 6 or 7 minutes from the city centre and free up land for retail, university development and student accomodation in the city centre On the Galway airport site plenty of room for staff and junior doctor accomodation. sound logical to me! As for Dublin Port, indeed, put it near Drogheda great access… Read more »
All very sensible with a couple of reservations. Selling off the land is a one time deal for the State and taxpayer. Structure it in such a way that the taxpayer gets a slice of the action perhaps through a long term lease (If Guinness has a 9000 year lease why not the taxpayers of the State?). Limit the building heights to five/six floors in Georgian style developments with courtyards. This gives maximum benefit for natural light and flexibility of use in a city this far north. Look at how flexible the Georgian proportions and design has been over the… Read more »
you will find you will come up against the wrath of the unions there… they still control everything in and out of that place…
€8 million and €10 million an acre
High price land prices lead to high priced realestate, which does nothing for the average. If the Docklands become the place to go then the trickle down effect may mean that the current high priced neighbourhoods lose value as people move into the new city. Of course with the current inflationary atmosphere, all prices will be higher than ever and we remain with the current problems of not enough housing for the blue collar workers.
Timely idea, I saw this development in Oslo a couple of years ago and it was terrific. The location of the new port between Dublin and Belfast and the associated unification benefits would be a bonus.
Great idea, unlikely to happen in a sensible time frame though. They just made a significant investment in extending the Cross Berth Quay wall and some of the yards – suggesting that they are planning to stay put. Also, add Singapore to the list of countries moving their port out of the city center. They have to reclaim a new peninsula (TUAS terminal project) to rehouse it but still think it is a worthwhile investment while we have very cheap land to re-house to.
Can’t believe Metroplitan Hillbilly suggested we limit buildings to “five to six floors Georgian style with courtyards”. A brand new example of low density pastiche – Mount street style. I thought we’d gotten over that in the 1980s. This is what we’re up sgainst. Maybe hillbillies should quit the metropolis.
A new city, great idea.
Suggested location, not so.
Ireland is too Dublincentric, I thought that was a given.
Everyone focuses on Dublin’s problematic transport infrastructure.
However, much less publicised but just as critical abd problematic is Dublin’s Electrical and Water Supply infrastructure.
We need a new city alright but not in Dublin.
Not the first time I’ve heard this idea mooted. I wonder are the Golden Circle buying up coastal land in any area’s for possible future development?
While we are near the seaside. I’m sick of hearing the likes if Macron and JC Juncker lecturing Ireland about our tax regime. Our tax affairs are our business as per various EU treaties and indeed still carry the right of veto to any proposed changes. It’s time Ireland went on the offensive and started asking questions about ‘our’ fish, caught in ‘our’ waters by foreign fishermen. What tax revenue does Ireland receive from the money generated by the sale of ‘our’ fish elsewhere. There is a parallel but not a direct comparison here to our multinational company tax situation.… Read more »
“build for the future with 100-year visions” – we haven’t had a government since the birth of the republic that has ever looked farther forward than the next election. We need new politics and non-career politicians before we can expect a government that will plan proactively, rather than relatively.
@metropolitan hillbilly: You don’t spend €10 million an acre and build low density housing. End of story. As for your claim “most of our architecture has been directly imported from UK designs”…. tell that to O’Donnell Tuomy, McCullagh Mulvin, Grafton, Architects, Aught O’Flaherty, ODOS, Henegan Peng, Bucholz mcEvoy, Boyd Cody etc etc and any of the other award winning Irish architects who are producing Irish design. Ballymun and tower block design was visionary in the 1960s – and they have worked well in 1st world countries where public services are provided. Obviously Ballymun was not well designed and services were… Read more »
Scott Tallon Walker.
When all is said and done the crux of the problem and the proposed solution is the “housing problem”. Suggestions are made that attempt to solve the “housing problem”. However the housing problem is not one of a lack of space but off affordability of that space. The cost of housing is not unique to Ireland or Dublin but manifests itself in many places and many countries. Why is this a Universal Problem? May I suggest it is caused by basic economics. Command economics rather than market economics. The problem of affordability starts at the bottom of the ladder and… Read more »
speculation wrapped up as economic analysis.
Ireland:
Hard Brexit could damage economy as much as financial crash: The Irish Times cited a study by think-tank Copenhagen Economics, which showed that Brexit could reduce the size of the Irish economy in 2030 by between 2.8% and 7%, depending on the type of Brexit that emerges. The report said that this is comparable to the damage the economy suffered during the financial crisis and the economic crash, which contracted 8% overall.
The corruption into the deep state apparatus is so embedded there is serious doubt that the US will recover to being a Constitutional Republic governed by the rule of law.
https://spectator.org/watergate-trumpgate-time-to-counterattack/?utm_source=American+Spectator+Emails&utm_campaign=3138ed7c03-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_02_13&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_797a38d487-3138ed7c03-104365713
Posted at lemetropolecafe.com EU: EU to refuse to sign trade deals with countries that don’t ratify Paris climate change accord: The Independent cited EU trade chief Malmstrom, who said the EU will refuse to sign trade deals with countries that do not ratify the Paris climate change agreement and take steps to combat global warming, under a new Brussels policy. She pointed out that a binding reference to the Paris accord was included in the Japan trade deal and upcoming deals with Mexico and the South American trade bloc Mercosur would also include the clause. There goes the largest trade… Read more »
One for John Allen:
https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/adam-ramsay/many-languages-native-to-britain
Using your applied logic we could sell off the entire city centre for housing. Retail in the city centre is dead and buried, replaced by on line shopping and out of town retail parks. All that’s left in Dublin City are drinking dens, coffee shops and fast food joints. In fact if the Liffey water level keeps rising we could forget about the expense of food defenses and let the city flood and create a water park. Disney Dublin. A real Viking splash experience.
Those who took profits last month from crypto gains are sitting pretty.
It is time to sell bonds and stocks and take your profits.
Real inflation is 10%
https://usawatchdog.com/fed-triggered-stock-sell-off-dollar-next-john-williams/
Re; Dublin Port & “all” Ports in the island of Ireland & on the islands of The Irish Isles
Does any of this network smuggle into this country through our ports :
Immigrants ; incl. “Criminally-minded” Immigrants ?
Narcotics : e.g.s Heroin, Ecstasy ?
Arms : Especially arms to Unionist-Loyalist paramilitaries ?
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Dublin does not need a new port ;
Just improve the existing port by innovatively streamlining it.
And, yeah, sure, build condominium blocks, on appropriate portions of that Irish State land, as terraced pyramids ensuring that all households actually have the detached dwelling situation.
To embark upon yet another Civil Serve-Piss central planning Boomdangle ==> we having more of what Trump — however sincerely ? — vows to clean up ;
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https://twitter.com/HenryMakow/status/963060906140798976
Off-topic ;
But, relevant because it refers to “murder of pre-born babies, & murder of infant babies”, of Irish State populace — indigenous Irish & foreigners here — campaigner, Justin Trudeau, a world leader who is somehow bosom-buddy with the “official” chief decision-maker [ Taoiseach “Varadakar” ] of Irish State ;
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https://twitter.com/Evenings_Star/status/962963020627435520
How do the ports in Ireland dovetail with this ? ;
https://www.globalresearch.ca/chinas-polar-silk-road-offers-the-west-a-chance-to-escape-post-industrial-rot/5628988
Ref.
The Public Election Process Main Politicos of Irish State
Teachta Daili / TDs
Major decisions on such a proposal as David’s here would very likely need agreement by majority of our Parliament / Dail.
Here are “official” wealth interests & some other interests of our TDs.
Perhaps yee can save the PDF that features within this article
EXTRACT ;
REGISTER OF INTERESTS OF MEMBERS OF DÁIL ÉIREANN PURSUANT TO SECTION 6 OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED ACTS IN RESPECT OF THE REGISTRATION PERIOD 1 JANUARY 2017 TO 31 DECEMBER 2017.
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https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/landlord-postmaster-farmer-list-shows-tds-other-jobs-828113.html
Just putting this to yee for yer consideration about the breaking news of yet another mass shooting ;
After all :
Sandy Hook was False-Flag > Fake > involved Crisis Actors ; No person died at that event
Boston Marathon Bombing was False-Flag > Fake > involved Crisis Actors ; No person died at that event
BUT, THE MAIN-STREAM MEDIA [ MSM ] FOOLED MOST OF YEE.
Of course, there are various agenda being served by the False Flagers :
incl.
further denigrate “Whitey” unjustifiably
remove the guns from the populace
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http://aanirfan.blogspot.com/2018/02/florida-school-false-flag.html
Mean while the debt bomb tick…..tock………………….ticks……………………………………………. Dave from Denver last night.., Why Even Pretend There’s A Debt Ceiling Limit? February 15, 2018Financial Markets, Gold, Market Manipulation, Precious Metals, U.S. Economybudget deficit, debt ceiling, Treasury debt The current “debt ceiling” has been suspended until March 2019. The current amount of Treasury debt outstanding is $20.681 trillion. It has been estimated that the amount of Treasury outstanding by March 2019 will be as high as $22 trillion. U.S. Government has, for all intents and purposes, operated without a constraint on debt issuance since 2013: Beginning in 2013, Congress has taken to temporarily… Read more »
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V690mntZD7A
cheap housing is easily built when the material costs are rising at 40-100% per annum Producer Prices Rise More Than Expected In January, Markets Shrug Fed Warns Inflation Has Arrived: Philadelphia, New York Fed Prices Paid Soar Stagflation Strikes: Industrial Production Sinks As Inflation Surges Nope, it’s all blue sky bullish for the metals yet as we know today was pre-ordained. After both gold and silver rallied 2% (and extremely close to +2% at that) it is ALWAYS the no follow through rule to the MOPE rescue. The OI’s yesterday were also consistent with the capping at +2%. Gold’s OI… Read more »
@ Tony Brogan,
Is there per “True” Economics / Austrian Economics / Jewish Economics — i.e. the only field of economics which is real — a list of Academics [ vis. actual Professors ; Not the USA casual naming of college lecturers as so ] at world class universities who are advocates of this logic ?
If “Yes”, I trust that even dipstick dullard ignoramuses on this blog would at last be awoken by ur kind furnishing of that crucially important list.
Thanking u in advance for ur most kind acceedence to my request.
Regards,
Truthist
For those who delude themselves (starting with Mr McWilliams) thinking that Britain is in special relations with/cares about Ireland (of course, neither does Germany but you get my point…):
https://www.joe.ie/life-style/sky-news-leo-varadkars-name-616525
Mr Varadkar is not an exception, every previous Taoiseach’s name was messed up in the British media.
Trinners has an Empty Space for “Austrian” / “Jewish” Economics ; Fill it ! I note that David is “Adjunct” Professor in Trinners [ Trinity College, Dublin ]. In the vein of David’s own entrepreneurialy & innovatively snap-snap-happy way of thinking, I put it that this is the opportunity that is going a begging for one to personally grab by the horns, & not wait for any “not-my-Taoiseach” to break ’em in prior ; Head Professor of School of “Austrian” / “Jewish” / “True” / “Non-Keynsian” / “Non-Fatuous”/ “Non-Bull Shit” / “Non-Gimmicky” Economics, Trinity College University, Dublin Here is proof… Read more »
Speaking as David does in his article about the Anglo-Irish, & reminding oneself that the UK was for a very long time the greatest exporter of industrially produced physical goods from its ports of which Belfast, London, Liverpool, & more were paramount, please do peruse this link as to State-Craft through Mshd-MI5-MI6 + Garda-Landlords Collusion involving : Spooks [ incl. Sir Maurice Oldfield ( Head of MI6 ), Captain Nairac ( S.A.S. ) ] + Top Politicians [ e.g.s Edward Heath ( Prime Minister of UK ), Jeremy Thorpe ( Leader of Liberal Party, & later Director of Amnesty International… Read more »
Truthist, you’re gonna love this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4EU-vLZDI0
@ Grzegorz,
Here is useful info. as to the background for the treachery by the Allies with the Soviet Union in putting Poland & many other European countries into the Iron Curtain after WW2 ;
Note again the Freemasonry Symbolism — in this case ; Freemasonry Handshakes — by the public players.
https://www.henrymakow.com/2018/02/Sen-Joseph-McCarthy%20.html
“Banks Still A Shower Of Bastards, Finds Report”
http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2017/10/23/banks-still-a-shower-of-bastards-finds-report/
Looks like they were listening to you somewhat with their 2040 national plan David.
No mention of moving the port in that plan though, as far as I know.
Befitting the Bosum-Buddy of “Not my Taoiseach” Varadakar ;
Yes, Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau recently exposed for his “politically correct” correcting of a TV audience member for she having used the word “mankind” when instead according to Justin she should have said “peoplekind” [ or perhaps it was “personkind” ].
As it is, the shrewd thinking is increasingly inclined to believe that Justin is indeed an actual son of Fidel Castro ;
Thus, Pierre Trudeau [ deceased, & former PM of Canada ] being cuckold father.
Best Political joke you know: Three contractors are bidding to fix a broken fence at the White House. One is from Chicago, another is from Tennessee, and the third is from Minnesota. All three go with a White House official to examine the fence. The Minnesota contractor takes out a tape measure and does some measuring, then works some figures with a pencil. “Well,” he says, “I figure the job will run about $900. $400 for materials, $400 for my crew, and $100 profit for me.” The Tennessee contractor also does some measuring and figuring, then says, “I can do… Read more »
FG and Irish economists are VULTURE LOVERS.
On the RTE programme ” The Great Irish Sell Off” the dept of finance guy boasts about calling in the vulture funds.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x580tvq
What is the backround to unsustainable mortgages?
THAT IS THE CORE QUESTION WITH REGARD TO HOUSE REPOSESSIONS.
How did “Lovely Normal Mortgages” become unsustainable debt products that did not meet the needs and objectives of Irish bank customers?
Why did the Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears fail to set up long term sustainable split mortgage restructures for high ratio debt products?
The ESM fund was there for bank liquidity.
Stonewalling sustainable long term mortgage restructures was FAILED BANKERS POLICY just like forcing bank customers from their tracker rates.
We need to discuss the failed mortgage products themselves.
Home mortgages that cost more than 35% of net income for the full term were Mis sold mortgages.
The rent for buy to let mortgages must be 130% to 150% of the mortgage repayments. Buy to let mortgages that were not covered safely by rent ratios were Mis sold mortgages.
EU aims to poach Irish State’s revenue that Irish State intends to pay the Banksters rather than the “Banksters’ project for Europe” / “EU” ;
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/920975/Brexit-news-netherlands-EU-latest-news-budget-contributions-Brexit-blackhole
Hitler was not financed or put into power by German Industrialists ; The German Industrialists wanted nothing to do with him. To say otherwise is : ignorance or lies Hitler was financed & put into power by the International Banksters through New York. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww NAZI ! Not the actual abbreviation of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. But rather, the Judaic twisting of the gestalt sound so that it conveniently sounds like nasty word … NASTY ! Churchill [ or rather, Victor Rothschild ( Churchill’s handler ) ] wanted Irish State’s ports — chiefly Cork Harbour — during WW2 really… Read more »
Even if u so busy that u can only be listening whilst attending to ur tasks, u will still benefit greatly from this video ;
TITLE ;
Part 1: Kevin Shipp, CIA Officer Exposes the Shadow Government
Goldbug, Tony Brogan, & Grzegorz in particular should be impressed with this up-to-date explanation of where citizens in USA, & indeed citizens elsewhere in world, stand versus Orwellian reach of CIA & other nefarious covert, *&/or overt ,intelligence / security agencies of USA.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQouKi7xDpM