Challenges for waterfront
development
Examples from Belfast and Dublin
Dr Jenny Muir
12th September 2012
Introduction to Belfast’s waterfront

1791: First shipyard

1840s: Belfast Harbour Commissioners dredged and straightened the river
to form the Victoria Channel – and paid for new shipyards, dry docks and
reclaimed land from 1850s

‘Golden Age’ of shipbuilding 1880 – 1914 including Titanic

Decline of shipbuilding from 1970s, last ship built in 2003

1989: Laganside Urban Development Corporation, 200 hectares: offices,
private apartments, construction of weir

UDC wound up in 2007, area now administered by Department of Social
Development e.g. public space, river and weir

2001: work starts on site preparation and Masterplan for Titanic Quarter

2005: TQ site lease bought by Harcourt Developments from Fred Olsen
Shipping Co. – freehold owned by Belfast Harbour Commissioners
Titanic Quarter outline


75 hectare site on East side of
river; plus 10 hectares Northern
Ireland Science Park
Phase 1 (2001 - 2012)
o
o
o
o

*475 apartments & marina
*Gateway office building: Citibank
*Belfast Metropolitan College
*New Public Records Office
Phase 2 (2007 – present)
o
o
o
o
o
*Titanic Belfast museum (for 2012
anniversary)
*Film studios (refurbishment)
Approx. 2000 apartments
including social/ affordable
Leisure and office facilities
Small-scale retail, hotel
Titanic Quarter today
Belfast’s waterfront
Introduction to Dublin’s waterfront

Port activity from mid-17th century

Gradual move outwards from the city during 18th and 19th centuries

Departure point for America during Famine (1840s – 1860s), now
commemorated by public art and replica Famine ship

No shipbuilding industry – important working Port to this day

Waterfront decline began to be addressed in 1980s

1986: Custom House Docks Development – Urban Development
Corporation:
o
Part of a national level Urban Renewal Scheme but also had its own
planning powers
o
Included construction of the International Financial Services
Centre, important for the ‘Celtic Tiger’ boom
Dublin Docklands outline







Approx. 500 hectares
Overseen by Dublin Docklands Development Authority, a statutory body
created by DDDA Act 1997
Includes statutory community involvement forum
Aims:
o
Sustainable social and economic regeneration of the area (both sides
of the River Liffey)
o
Improve physical environment
o
Secure continued development of financial services industry in the
area
Masterplan issued every 5 years, most recent is 2008
Separate planning process, not controlled by Dublin City Council
Recent announcement that DDDA is to be wound up following a damning
audit report – conflict of interest on the Board
Dublin Docklands today
Selected challenges in waterfront
development
 Connectivity
 Heritage
– a big responsibility
 Housing
 Public
subsidy – not if but how
 Responding
to the unexpected
Connectivity – the challenge of
getting there



‘Real’ distance: transport of all kinds built into phase 1 which
requires public sector investment upfront
‘Imagined’ distance: making the waterfront a destination for
locals, tourists and employers – connecting with the rest of
the world e.g. Belfast Our Time Our Place campaign (below)
Technical connectivity: broadband
Connectivity example: Dublin – ‘real’
distance
LUAS tram on the North side only:
connecting the Docklands O2
Centre concert hall with the city’s
main bus station and two of the
main train stations, 2009
Samuel Beckett bridge:
connecting North and South of
the River Liffey, 2009
Heritage – the responsibility of selling
history


How are the topics selected? Why are they considered
important? Whose history? Presented for whom?
Example - Titanic Quarter:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Heritage ‘offer’ based on one ship not shipbuilding as a whole
Important for Belfast to situate itself in the lucrative Titanic industry:
‘she was all right when she left here’
The story is presented as heroic – pushing technological boundaries
Located in a modern ‘signature building’ while the adjacent Harland
& Wolff HQ - including the Drawing Office where the ship was
designed - is half derelict
Sectarianism in the shipyards’ history is played down
The story is presented primarily for tourists and the Irish diaspora
It’s expensive!
However the memorialisation is sensitive and well done
Heritage example: Titanic Belfast.....
Memorialisation of 1,502 lives.....
.....and the Drawing Office
Housing – opportunities for all?
Belfast Titanic Quarter
o
o
o
o
o
No housing on site before the
redevelopment
No planning obligation to provide
social or affordable housing
Perhaps some concern that social
housing would damage attempts
to make the redevelopment
‘shared space’ between
Protestants and Catholics
Affordable housing in Phase 2 –
but when?
Falling value of apartments for
sale bought off plan caused
mortgage difficulties for some
purchasers
Dublin Docklands
o
o
o
o
Established residential
community before the
redevelopment - lots of social
housing
Political pressure to improve
housing conditions as part of the
development
Strong residents’ organisations
and presence on DDDA Board
One notorious flats complex
demolished, 20% social or
affordable housing requirement
introduced, template for
legislation
Housing: Dublin Docklands
o 3.300 new homes, 20% social or
affordable
o Investment purchases in early
years led to transient new
population
o Low space standards in some of
the first apartment developments
o Social mismatch between new
and longer-standing residents
o Families not attracted to owner
occupation in the area
o BUT 20% social or affordable
housing achieved
Public subsidy example: Titanic
Quarter
Titanic Belfast (museum):
• NI Tourist Board £36.5m
• Belfast City Council £10m
(Memorandum of Understanding)
-Jobs & apprenticeships
- Affordable housing
(£30m private sector)
Others:
• Graving Dock/ PumpHouse: £1.2m
NITB, £1.5m Dept of Environment
• EU Peace III £2.27m Nomadic historic
tug boat
• Public Records Office £30m
• College £44m
Responding to the unexpected:
Titanic Studios
http://www.northernirelandscreen.co.uk/sections/10/the-paint-hallstudio.aspx