Office Development in Dublin and the Tax Incentive Areas

Abstract

The Urban Renewal Act and Finance Aei of 1986 established lax incentives for properly developmenl and refurbishment in designated areas of certain Irish cilies. During (he third office development boom in Dublin, such areas proved to be a major influence in ihe location of development.

Changing Approaches to Urban Planning in an 'Entrepreneurial City': The Case of Dublin

“…Proximity to the central area became a strong marketing feature and the schemes sold well, not only to landlords but, more surprisingly, to young middle-class owner-occupiers. By early 1997, some 6000 dwellings had been developed in the Designated Areas, with a further 2700 units even being developed on inner-city sites which lacked such incentives (MacLaran, 1996b;MacLaran et al, 1994;MacLaran et al, 1995;MacLaran & Floyd, 1996;Williams & MacLaran, 1996).…”

“…In contrast, during property booms, planners become over-burdened by the sheer volume of planning applications. Thus, over recent years, Corporation planners have had to cope with the rami cations of a construction boom which have had a profound impact on the physical and social environment of inner Dublin (MacLaran, 1996a(MacLaran, , 1996b(MacLaran, , 1999MacLaran et al, 1999;Williams & MacLaran, 1996) but which resulted from a renewal policy that operated in the absence of any planned strategic framework and which planners had possessed little opportunity to in uence.…”

“…As a result, in the Designated Areas outside the IFSC, some 45% of the newly developed space lay vacant. Inner-city sites in such locations therefore increasingly became considered for alternative functions, primarily residential development (MacLaran, 1996b).…”

Changing Approaches to Urban Planning in an ‘Entrepreneurial City’: The Case of Dublin

“…As a local government function which is essentially permissory or passive, relying on and reacting to private-sector initiatives, local government planning occupies at the best of MacLaran, 1996a, 1996b, Williams and MacLaran, 1996 Areas, contributing to the geographical refocusing of developments. Proximity to the central area became a strong marketing feature and the schemes sold well, not only to landlords but, more surprisingly, to young middle-class owner-occupiers.…”

“…Proximity to the central area became a strong marketing feature and the schemes sold well, not only to landlords but, more surprisingly, to young middle-class owner-occupiers. By early 1997, some 6,000 dwellings had been developed in the Designated Areas, with a further 2,700 units even being developed on inner-city sites which lacked such incentives (MacLaran, 1996b;MacLaran et al, 1994;MacLaran et al, 1995;MacLaran and Floyd, 1996;Williams and MacLaran, 1996).…”