A Profile of the City
Pure Cork - An Action Plan For The City
of public realm, services and key development of sites and buildings for new enterprises and activities. Secondly, a fresh approach to the management of the city based on a partnership of the key stakeholders. And thirdly, marketing and branding the city centre. The City Council adopted the first Cork City Centre Action Plan in June 2015 as a key step in implementing the City Centre Strategy. “CORE” is a new city centre partnership which was officially launched in April 2016 with a focus on creating opportunities, highlighting positive developments and delivering new initiatives that create and promote a vibrant city centre. Spearheaded by Cork City Council and local stakeholders including Cork Chamber, Cork Business Association, An Garda Siochána, Bus Éireann and representatives from hospitality and retail sectors, CORE will take a collaborative approach to the revitalisation of Cork City Centre. Local community led initiatives are playing an increasingly significant role in improving the quality of place in the city. Re-imagine Cork is a community led initiative focused on transforming Cork’s laneways, urban green spaces and derelict buildings through direct creative interventions. “ Greening Cork’s Historic Spine” is a Cork Food Policy Council initiative focused on edible growing of foods at various locations within the city and is an excellent example of a community driven initiative making an immediate impact on the local built environment of the city.
2020. CASP is the current manifestation of an integrated, non-statutory planning process which has been in place in Cork since 1978 with the introduction of the Land Use and Transportation Study (LUTS). In that period, a co-ordinated sub-regional planning approach has guided planning and development of the metropolitan Cork area through two recessions and the transition from traditional industries (textiles, car manufacture, ship building) to the current sectors of ICT, biopharma, medical technologies, energy and international services. The Cork Smart Gateway has recently been established by Cork City Council, Cork County Council, Nimbus Research Centre and Tyndall National Institute to identify and deploy smart solutions to seize emerging opportunities, solve regional challenges and enhance the reputation of Cork as an attractive place to live, work, visit and invest. The Smart Gateway will create a forum to allow these organisations to share and collaborate together while also marketing the Cork region as a smart destination internationally.
Quality of Place – Stats and Facts
CORK ATTRACTS NEARLY ONE IN FIVE OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF OVERSEAS VISITORS WHO TRAVEL TO IRELAND The significant levels of tourism in Cork City and the wider region reflect the social and economic importance of a high quality of place. Cork attracts 18% of all overseas visitors who come to Ireland and is second only to Dublin in terms of tourist bed nights, with the average visitor to Cork spending €94.59 a day. 8 In 2013, the Cork area generated a revenue of €433m from 1.23 million international visitors and €148m revenue from 740,000 domestic visitors. This accounted for 12% of the total national revenue generated from international tourists and 10% from the domestic total 9 . Two new projects have recently been approved for ERDF funding under the Designated Urban Centres Grants 2014 – 2020 : the €3.5 million Marina Park area, and the environmental enhancement of the Monahan Road link and the €1.5 million Harley Street Pedestrian / Cycle Bridge, dedicated cycle and pedestrian bridge across the North Channel of the River Lee. A major flood defence scheme is due to commence work in 2017, to offer protection from flooding to around 2,000 residential and commercial properties in the wider city region. Knowledge and awareness of the built and cultural heritage of the city is vital in nourishing a sense of place in the city. The objectives and actions set out in the Cork City Heritage Plan (2015-2020) are central to achieving this.
Competitiveness through Strategic Governance
“In 1772, in the fourth year of publication, the Cork Hibernian Chronicle was distributed by courier to twenty-six towns: eighteen of these were in Co. Cork, five in Kerry (including Tralee and Dingle), and two in Co. Waterford (Tallow and Lismore). The inhabitants of all those towns looked primarily to Cork as the economic centre; when trade was brisk in Cork city, times were good to a greater or lesser extent in every market town.” David Dickson; Old World Colony: Cork and South Munster 1630- 1830,
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Competitiveness through Strategic Governance - Policy
Local leadership and strategic governance are key elements in driving competitiveness and regional development. Successful economic regions are characterised by strong inter-agency collaborative partnerships which proactively drive strategies for economic growth. Stakeholders in Cork have long recognised the importance of a strategic approach. Published in 2001, Cork Area Strategic Plan (CASP) is a pioneering initiative led by Cork City and County Councils and involving both national and local stakeholders, which sets out a vision and strategy for the sustainable development of the Cork City Region up to
Competitiveness through Strategic Governance - Stats and Facts
CORK CITY’S COMMERCIAL RENTAL COST ARE CURRENTLY ESTIMATED AS BEING LESS THAN HALF THOSE OF DUBLIN CITY FOR AN EQUIVALENT PROPERTY
8 Source: Cork City Data, 2013 and Cork Visitor Survey 9 Source: Failte Ireland
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