Queens University studies ‘inspiring’ Limerick Regeneration projects

GOVERNMENT officials from Northern Ireland and academics from Queens University, Belfast have paid a "really inspiring" visit to Regeneration-led projects in Limerick to study best practices.

The delegation included the Queens University ‘Placemaking Academy,’ as well as officials from the Department of Justice and the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.

They visited a number of projects in Limerick city and in the four regeneration areas of Moyross, Southill, St Mary’s Park and Ballinacurra Weston.

The Limerick Regeneration Framework Implementation Plan (LRFIP) is one of the largest capital programmes in the State. It is the largest regeneration programme in the State.

The Plan includes a €253m investment on physical infrastructure, €30m on social projects and €10m on economic programmes.

Suzie Clifford, Administrative Officer, Limerick Regeneration Directorate said: "It was fantastic to be able to showcase the wonderful social initiatives that are happening across the four regeneration communities.

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"The Northern Ireland delegation were hugely impressed by the Social Initiatives that are enabling children and families to maximise their life opportunities."

The Placemaking Academy is a collaboration between Queen’s University Belfast and the Department for Communities, which brings together researchers, students and practitioners.

Dr Neil Galway, Director of Postgraduate Studies in Planning at Queens University Belfast explained: "I’ve been working with staff in the Department for Communities, they’re the regeneration department in Northern Ireland, and they were keen to look at how we could provide some informal training in relation to placemaking.

"It’s largely about creating an informal space where staff working in central government, in councils, in housing executives, in heritage departments, within council regeneration teams can come together with students from Queens.

"We look at best practices in terms of regeneration, placemaking and dealing with big issues, be that resilience, climate change, reuse of historic buildings, pedestrianisation, all the stuff about making places better essentially."