Evidence Led Forward Planning – the Case for Capacity Studies

The 2010 Planning and Development Amendment Act requires Local Authorities to include core strategies in their development plans that demonstrate the location, quantum and phasing of development that is proposed to meet their future needs. However, the limited availability of usable data on the issues that enable development (such as land use, transport and open space) make it is difficult for Local Authorities to establish if (and how much) new development can be accommodated in designated areas. Noting that the National Spatial Strategy recommends the use of capacity studies to provide insights on future development scenarios in urban areas, this paper focuses on the north inner city in Dublin to investigate the usefulness of capacity studies as a means of gauging future development potential. In considering the themes of land, transport and open space, the research revealed that the capacity study was not only effective in identifying both the constraints (i.e. lack of readily available sites and limited open space) and the enablers (availability of access to public and active transport modes) to future development but it also offered insights on what quantum of new development was possible.