Greater Dublin Area (GDA)

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Greater Dublin Area (GDA) Alternative to South
and East?
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Greater Dublin Area An Example of A Core
Economic Region
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Dublin's Docklands Redevelopment
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Why GDA is a core economic region

• Route focus / nodal point for Irelands road,
  rail, air and river transport networks.
• Dublin city finincial and administrative
  capital. Major service centre providing natioanl,
  governmental, health and educational services.
• The countrys biggest tourist destination
  (Dublin).
• Natural resources fertile brown earth soil,
  well drained lowlands. Sheltered harbours for
  fishing and tourism industry.
• High population density area of in-migration.
• Wealthy, educated population attracts industry.
  (Dublin software)
• One of the fastest growing regions in Europe.

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Reasons for GDA dominance

• 80 of state sponsored bodies located here.
• 70 of major public and private companies are
  located within GDA.
• All finincial institutions have their
  headquarters here.
• Dublin is the capital.

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Physical Characteristics of GDA

• Climate
• Drier than BMW due to rain shadow effect.
• 750mm average (1000mm less than west)
• Wicklow Mountains relief rainfall
• Similar temperatures to BMW (5 15 degrees)
• Relief and Drainage
• Low lying and undulating (gently rolling) in
  north and west.
• Perfect for commercial agriculture
• Coastline varies from metamorphic headlands
  (Killiney, Howth) and bays of limestone (Dublin
  Bay) Erosion in Killiney, deposition in Malahide.
• Rivers Liffey, Boyne, Vartry.
• Kildare / Meath lowlying, no major upland
  areas.
• Dublin mountains barrier to development of
  roads and settlement.

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Physical Characteristics Cntd.

• Soils
• Mainly covered by fertile brown earth soils.
• North Co. Dublin marine deposition has added
  sand to the brown earths making them suitable for
  intensive horticulture.
• Blanket peat is found on the uplands of the
  Wicklow Mountains

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Primary Activities (Agriculture, forestry,
fishing)

• Characterised by large, intensive, commercial
  horticulture and tillage farms.
• Only 3 of population employed in agric.
• Mechanised farms with high yields.
• Near a large urban market.
• Low transport costs
• North Co. Dub. - Good soils, undulating
  landscape, mild climate (few frosts) and low
  rainfall make it an area well suited to
  horticulture Onions, cabbages, tomatoes,
  carrots.
• Glasshouse production is common.
• Meath / Kildare cereal growth (wheat)
• Farmers do not use forestry as an alternative
  income source.
• Cattle production is an important economic
  activity in Meath.
• Agric land is under increasing pressure from
  urban sprawl of Dublin city. Rezoning of land for
  residential or industrial use.
• Kildare emhasis on the bloodstock industry.
  (Horses).
• Wicklow Mountains sheep rearing

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Forestry

• Wicklow is the most forested county as the land
  is more upland, has less fertile soil and is not
  as exploited for commercial agriculture.
• Wicklow Mountains thin acidic soils, wetter
  climate and steeper ground.
• Forestry is more suited to this land than
  agriculture.
• Overall in the GDA, few farmers turn to forestry
  as an alternative to farming (unlike BMW)

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Fishing

• Fishing industry based at Howth.
• Value of fish landed at Howth ranks 3rd in
  Ireland after Killybegs and Dunmore East.
• Dublin city is ranked 3rd in the numbers employed
  in Ireland after Killybegs and Cork.
• Mainly demersal fish caught.

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Secondary Economic Activities.

• GDA has many advantages for the location of
  industry, especially in Dublin city.
• Dublin city focus of Irelands transport
  network road, rail, air, water.
• Dublin Port Irelands main port. 1 million
  trucks per annum.
• Dublins hinterland fertile farmland variety
  of raw materials for the food processing
  industry.
• High population density labour force / market.
• Dublin national education centre attractive
  location for knowledge-based industries eg
  software.
• Wealthier people makes the region attractive for
  producers of high value luxury goods.
• Dublin is a service centre, providing support
  services for manufacturing, such as marketing and
  technical support.

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• Wider range of manufacturing than in periphery
  brewing, food processing, printing, clothing,
  electronics.
• Dublin accounts for 32 of national employment in
  the manufacturing industry.
• Greater chance of finding another job in GDA
  should a company close, unlike in the BMW.
• Location of many world class knowledge-based
  multinational companies such as Microsoft, IBM,
  Hewlett-Packard, Intel etc.
• Food processing is very important Cadburys.
• Irish printing and publishing industry based in
  Dublin Independent Citywest.
• Manufacturing is widely dispersed across GDA and
  not confined to a few urban centres (like in
  BMW).
• Transport very important to industry movement
  away from traditional location in the docklands
  to industrial estates and business parks close to
  the M50 and Airport.

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Tertiary Activities

• Dublin dominates tertiary activities in GDA.
• Communications
• Transport and communications related work 9 of
  workforce in Dublin.
• Important centre of communications with a variety
  of transport methods (port, LUAS etc)
• Public Services
• Dublin is administrative capital of country
  large share of workforce in Dublin employed in
  public administration gardai, government
  departments etc.
• Health services are important part of tertiary
  sector.
• Dublin 6 private, 15 public hospitals. 75
  health-board registered nursery / creche centres
  providing childcare facilities in the city.
• Finincial services major growth industry in the
  region. IFSC employs over 6,000 people in 25 of
  the worlds top 50 banks.

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Tertiary Activities cntd.

• Teleservices.
• Hertz has located its European call centre in
  Swords.
• City West business campus is the location of
  Irelands National Digital Park
• This park has been developed as the central
  location for e-commerce and technology companies
  who need high speed digital communications
  services.

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Education

• Dublin home to some of the countrys most
  respected educational institutions.
• University of Dublin, Trinity, DCU.
• Many 3rd level educational centres have expanded
  in recent times Tallaght and Blanchardstown
  Institutes of Technology.
• At least 5 private 3rd level colleges in the city

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Tourism

• Much greater scale of tourism here than in the
  BMW.
• 2006 over 6 million visitors to Dublin.
• 1.2 billion generated for Dublin economy.
• Year round industry unlike in BMW (seasonal).
• Dublin short break destination for city based
  holiday.
• Art galleries, music venues, theatres, shops,
  restaurants etc.
• Kildare racing and golfing (K-Club Ryder Cup)
• Meaths main attraction Newgrange.
• Wicklow beautiful scenery Glendalough,
  Powerscourt Gardens.

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Problem in GDA Transport Services

• As in all core regions, transport can be a
  problem.
• Urban sprawl, and the increase in car ownership
  have led to severe congestion.
• The Transport 21 project includes several plans
  to improve the GDAs transport problems. (Page
  304 / 305)

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Transport 21

• The name given to the planned development of the
  transport system in Ireland between 2005 2015.
• Investment covers national roads, public
  transport and airports.
• Total estimated cost - 34.4 billion.
• Aims of Transport 21
• Increase accessibility to and from all regions.
• Ensure sustainability of transport services.
• Expand capacity of infrastructure.
• Increase peoples use of public transport.
• Improve quality of transport infrastructure.
• This involves
• Upgrading M50
• Construction of metro
• Building Atlantic Corridor route from Donegal to
  Waterford
• Upgrading current rail routes.
• Reopening other rail routes
• Projects listed on page 316

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Transport 21 Projects

• New LUAS lines
• 2 metro lines in Dublin and an underground line
  and station at St. Stephens Green linking
  Heuston and Connolly.
• Dart extensions.
• Removal of trucks from city centre due to the
  Port Tunnel.
• Debate whether or not to buy out the M50 toll
  bridge from the toll company (NTR) is still
  ongoing.

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Dublins Port Tunnel Under Construction
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Human Processes in GDA

• 2006 1,661,185 people.
• Surplus of females, reflected by the greater
  numbers in health and education.
• Government investment in services for childcare
  and the elderly will need to be provided by the
  government.
• 2021 GDA 41 of total population of Ireland.
• Numbers of young people and old people will
  increase.
• Dublin cultural melting pot.
• More religions here over the last decade.
• Dublin is often 1st stop for immigrants.
• Multicultural city.
• Primary and secondary schools have students from
  all over the world.

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Planning Policies for the GDA.

• NDP National Development Plan
• Address traffic congestion and urban sprawl.
• Maintain Dublin as a national gateway serving
  entire country.
• Build on Dublins economic performance, improve
  jobs and reduce unemployment.
• Develop tourism and promote social inclusion.
• Maintain a viable rural economy.
• Continue development of transport links to the
  rest of the country.

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NSS National Spatial Strategy (2002 2020)

• Enhance competitiveness of the GDA.
• Monitor growth of the Dublin City Region.
• Manage Dublin as a gateway so that other areas
  have the opportunity to become similarly strong.
• Manage the location of industry and zoning of
  land.
• Integrate transport.
• Develop the hinterlands of the GDA.

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Decentralisation

• Planned relocation of government and Office of
  Public Works staff in Dublin to other areas of
  GDA and Ireland.
• Should help reduce traffic congestion and ease
  pressures on other services in the area.
• Offices listed for relocation within GDA include
• Revenue Commissioners to Athy.
• Probation and Welfare Service, Garda Civilian HR
  unit, National Property Services, Regulatory
  Authority and Coroners Agency to Navan.
• Department of Finance to Kildare.
• Department of Environment to Wexford