Oranmore: The Gateway to Galway

A model of what a Transit-Oriented Development COULD look like in Oranmore, County Galway.
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With thanks to:
Cllr. Albert Dolan
The Garraun Framework
consult.galway.ie/system/files/materials/17/Garraun%20Urban%20Framework%20Plan.pdf
Writing & Editing
K Lucid
V Malhotra
Lead Architectural Designer
D Gemilang
Assistant Architectural Designers
K Pietzrak
M Billyarta
#housingcrisis #housing #transit #galway #ireland #apartments #urbanism #tod #environment

[@skeire1]

so exciting that something is actually planned and not just speculation

[@sligostoriestv4859]

The reason why infrastructre does not happen in Ireland is NIMBYs have more power than any other entity in Ireland. Remember NIMBYs have been cancelling the underground rail system in Dublin since the 1973 Dublin Rail Plan which - according to Frank McDonald - was hit with legal objections from individuals living in Tralee and wait for it...New York. Until impulsive NIMBYs go to prison - like bogus lawsuit chancers do - then no sensible infrastructure will happen in Ireland.

[@Melbindoooo]

The CGI of the town looks great and the ideas are refreshing but with the weather in Galway it would be good to see how it would look and feel on a wet and windy day. Sheltered walkways, ground materials that don't retain surface rainwater, etc could be an idea.

[@aspartamexylitol]

@@Dragon122hh"irish architecture" thatched roofs?

[@infosuge]

For Galway, canopy large public spaces to shelter from rain. Rain disperses people; canopy promotes community by providing shelter from the elements, think making a new best friend standing under a tree during a downpour. Excellent content good job

[@ianhomerpura8937]

doing what Southeast Asian cities did in the 1930s would be great - buildings with colonnaded sidewalks

[@manusodonnell64]

Huge. We can have as many cycle lanes as possible, but the Galway weather is one of the wettest in the country. We need sheltered transit systems like trains and buses. And definitely covered, outdoor spaces

[@maxschon7709]

Using solar Panels they win energy

[@barvdw]

​@@ianhomerpura8937not just in SE Asia, many older cities have arched walkways, to increase space for real estate, while simultaneously providing shelter for shoppers and other passersby, both from harsh weather (e.g. in Bern, CH), and the heat (Lucca, Bologna, IT, or Seville, ES). And yes, they are a good feature we don't use enough.

[@tol365]

​@@ianhomerpura8937Also found in many Italian cities built in the 19th century

[@jettjones9889]

I love the Paris style architecture of the residential areas.

[@caolindennehy2553]

Well done, another great video. I can’t believe you do such detailed models for each video that’s a large task. As someone who lived in Dublin and Galway Galway is heavily under housed and bottlenecked huge development needed there.

[@Art-is-craft]

So you want the bad planning in Dublin to be outsourced.

[@endaohalloran6649]

Seeing videos like this truly shows how aimless our urban planning has been across the country. So little ability to predict trends or plan ahead or make communities look like pleasant places to live and work

[@ttopero]

It’s been perfectly aimed at extracting maximum wealth from the residents! It’s also provided a false sense of control for those seeking power.

[@HomeWorkouts_LS]

I agree but there’s finally TODs popping up around Dublin county. I live near one west of Dublin 👍🏻

[@bertibear1300]

Looks like Dubai , shit.

[@colors6692]

@@bertibear1300 🤦🏿‍♀🤦🏿‍♀🤡🤡

[@StreetsToRemember]

As an Athenry resident who's renting right now, I can say this would be an amazing thing if it were to ever come true. We need a lot more density close to the transit stations. I hope someone is thinking something radical for Athenry station and the surroundings too. I hope you'll bring out something on how Athenry can change with the plans to reopen lines to Claremorris coming up.

[@geroutathat]

The will copy Dublin and put the transit in the least populated areas, like a metro in stephens green, where it means no one lives for 1km in that direction into the park.

[@The_Hero_Is_Back]

Excellent. Many people would love to live in this modern-looking, eco-friendly village. Hope you get approval.

[@polysee]

Thanks, we are only discussing the idea, but hopefully the council moves forward with it

[@doithimaceabhard7457]

​@@polyseeit shows the interest locals and others have in developing the west as best as can be

[@manusodonnell64]

Are there renderings of what the Gov have planned? Great vid@@polysee

[@marcdefaoite]

Well done. I love the bike lanes that nip around the back of the bus stops. I wish we could see more of that in real life

[@sparx2565]

Westside Galway has these already

[@TruthWillOut-hb9vc]

In the UK, there was a flurry of intentional urban developments called 'new towns'. Most of them were imagined as spaces of commercial activity and residential community focused around transport links. Unfortunately, commercial planners who won the development contracts, always cut corners on the human aspect of the design to maximise profitability. They ended up creating commuter nightmares of identikit box housing and deserted streets. There are many such towns which have devolved over time, into centres of urban blight. There is an earlier movement that is successful. 'Garden Cities', were largely developed by semi-utopian architects and urban planners, who prioritised livability and user needs over short term profit. If you want to see the two models side by side, visit Welwyn Garden City and the nearby new town, Hatfield. The former is a lovely town of tree lined wide streets, mixed housing, excellent services and a thriving community. Hatfield is a soul-less commuter town with no centre and a lack of identity or community.

[@relatively_untoward]

“In our view the role of government in such a project, besides basic zoning is to layout critical infrastructure and parking. Beyond creating these basic conditions, we think it’s best for the neighbourhood to evolve organically, through the choices made by residents and businesses.” By “choices made by residents and businesses” here you mean the choices of property developers. What real say is a resident going to have, other than deciding whether or not they can afford the rent? The public pays for the infrastructure, the wealthy get access to subsidised investment opportunities. And we somehow expect this will help inequality and the housing crisis. We cannot fix the systemic problems caused by neoliberalism with more neoliberalism, this is complicity with a dysfunctional and cruel system.

[@SGBD8933]

I like the concept of this video, very cool. I like the taller building too, very Parisian. The only shame is the buildings posses a modern blandness. Giant boxes with boring facades. It would be cool to see you work to develop a style which could be seen as defitively Irish, some form of ornamentation such as balcony rail designs etc. I'm sure alot of the aesthetic features are probably limited due to regulations and planning. Ireland has a lot of empty space and alot of talented people. Would be a shame to watch it modernise into a bland skyscraper village or Concete jungle.

[@Quentin-vi4zi]

This is such a cool channel. I absolutely love every video and how they’re made. I love to plan such projects in my head, to solve the Dutch housing crises, but it is so cool to see a channel actually visualise projects like these in such a detailed way (even though its in a different country)

[@daviddunne4737]

That old saying ' we couldn't organise a pissup in a brewery ' is always on the tip of many Irish tongues.

[@SebBrandenberg]

A new development like this should be designed to be car free as much as possible, like the centres of Ljubljana and Pontevedra.

[@ThreeRunHomer]

Agreed. I wonder if they considered making the whole thing car-free?

[@SebBrandenberg]

@@ThreeRunHomer Or why don't they build an entirely new, car-free town/city (on a train line) from scratch so they don't have to accommodate existing car-driving residents? There are enough people who work from home or who are self-employed, and who want this, to make it work. Wide footpaths, cycle paths, a tram serving the train station, access for service vehicles (after 9AM so kids can walk or cycle to school without coming into contact with them). If the government actually wants regional development they can move a department there, or at least part of one. Utopian thinking? I don't think so. We're in a crisis, use CPO where necessary.

[@ttopero]

I totally agree that it’s imperative we de-prioritize the car and prioritize non-car movement. I’d suggest that allowing some vehicle movement with drop off/pick up and delivery zones along limited paths for slow movement and access by emergency vehicles makes sense. Even Barcelona super blocks allow for servicing from limited vehicle use. I got stuck at the huge parking structure built in the most important location of the whole TOD when I had to comment about it, as you have!

[@Art-is-craft]

No body wants to live in a car free city. How would your proposal work for a disabled person or somebody who was sick?

[@SebBrandenberg]

@@Art-is-craft You mean *you* don't want to live in a car-free city, right? That's fine. But many people do. Over half of New Yorkers don't own a car, two-thirds of Berliners likewise. 15,000 people have moved into the centre of Pontevedra since it was pedestrianised. In Ljubljana they provide special vehicles and assistance for residents who are mobility-impaired. Plus a car-free or traffic-light city is far safer for people with disabilities to navigate.

[@Con4Bri]

Another fantastic video, rare to get this high quality on anything to do with Ireland

[@rapn21]

It was certainly a pleasant surprise to see my hometown appear in my feed like this! I love your ambition, but I worry it might be too ambitious. You are basically proposing a new town that could overshadow Oranmore. Who is going to fund this major development? Is it something could actually happen or is it just a pipe dream? It's like the idea of a cafe on top of a car park, sounds good at first but is less feasible the more you think about it. Who would want to go on top of a car park to meet a friend? Having to ascend multiple floors to reach the cafe will dissuade passersby. And the idea of overlooking the bay sounds wonderful if Oranmore was in the Mediterranean, but in reality it's beside the Atlantic, with the wind and rain that entails.

[@RobinKoenig1917]

I worked in Oranmore for years, and while waiting (sometimes hours) for the bus back into the city, I have idly thought about how Oranmore might grow in the future, increase its links with Galway city etc. This was an interesting video! Don't know if I agree with "organic development" as you call it. The demands of businesses and the demands of residents are often opposed as much as they align. But it is neat to see a video about I place I know pretty well

[@Art-is-craft]

Cities cannot be planned. The infrastructure and transport can be designed but not the city.

[@geordieinjapan]

Donegal cries at being called southern Ulster. But good to see this sort of content about relatable places rather than just the US!

[@blueocean2510]

A United Ulster will provide all of the counties with proper development. It will be funded direct from the EU. It will provide a example for others living on the island, what is possible.

[@ablacknambercat]

Great video, however I would caution about 'letting the area grow organically, NIMBYs will stifle growth if the residents have too much say in further development.

[@paulaspinall919]

100% agree. Whilst it is right that people should have input to a plan the planners need to avoid 1000 3 bed houses and roads and car parks. Public transport and good quality walk ways and cycle ways should be a priority. It is also essential that secure bike parking is a no.1 priority to encourage cycle use.

[@markdesmond2649]

The production quality of this series is really appreciated. Hope you guys get the recognition and support this work deserves!

[@avacool307.]

Amazing video!! New plans , problems,solutions , proposals everything in one. Well done. 👍💯

[@vikasmalhotra9135]

Thanks 🙏

[@kieranmaye2290]

What software are ye using to generate these models. Do you have a architects running the page or city planners id love to know who's behind the channel

[@RendererEP]

Looks like Lumion to me

[@ttopero]

At 7:25, they are showing SketchUp Pro

[@Mark-tq2vi]

Polysee should be running the country 😪

[@rachelwhittle8800]

No they shouldn’t

[@tpower1912]

It'd work out about as well as Cuba

[@icemanire5467]

Well if he's afraid to say the obvious, then no he shouldn't

[@vixen878]

@@tpower1912 and yet look how happy cubans are. bad take

[@mdb262-pg5vd]

I live in galway and the car dependancy and urban sprawl makes it unbearable. Transit is barely existant and if you want to go to stores, gyms, activities you have to walk along shitty highways through areas that look like the US Rust Belt. Crossing the road literally anywhere is a pain in the ass and everyone with any brains or culture has been priced out essentially pressured out of the country. The foreign tech workers are boring, hobbyless, and ill adapted to the culture but their willingness to overpay for literally everything has made restaurants, bars, and hotels across the country comfortable with charging insane prices that most normal people cant afford.

[@Dreyno]

Sligo would be an interesting case study. Its population has only increased by 25-30% in half a century. It has gone from being in the top 10 biggest towns to barely in the top 20. Part of this was letting the surrounding villages expand to soak up the population increase and some of it was the lack of FDI and a lagging economy meaning the increase wasn’t as substantial as other towns its size. For context, Letterkenny grew by more than 400% in the same timescale and has gone from being far less important than Sligo to surpassing it. Spreading the population growth had some benefits such as not having vast estates leading to anti-social hotspots when kids become teenagers and more life in quiet villages. The downsides were that there was little to no investment in these villages. No facilities, little public transport and in some cases, quiet country roads were turned into to busy commuter routes and didn’t even get a line painted down the middle of them. With so little investment in the surrounding towns, the vast majority of jobs are still in Sligo so it’s lead to thousands of extra cars undertaking 20-30 minutes journeys.

[@jeromeryan4550]

In 2022 the irish birthrate per woman was 1.63. At this rate the number of Irish people is and will decline. On top of this Irish young people are emigrating because they can't buy a home in their own country even if they work full time. The reason housing prices are so high is because over a million people have migrated here from all over the world when there is only around 4 million irish people. The country is currently 75% ethnically Irish. This will continue to decrease and inevitably Ireland will become minority majority. We are losing our home and I am worried about this. Yet I have heard nobody give me a reason why this should happen bar materialistic economic reasons. We are losing the soul of Eire. In my view this is the greatest crime ever committed against Ireland in modern history. Our ancestors didn't fight and die against the most powerful empire in the world for this. 🇮🇪

[@walker1054]

This is only small scale compared to what could be suitable elsewhere. There's a terrible example of something like this near me. There's a rail line nearby which runs through farmland, and that point of the rail line would be around 20 mins to Central London for the trains passing along it. Yet the council are deciding to build housing/mix used on 230 Hectares of farm land along side it, compared to your tiny in comparison 13 hectareas, and somehow despite the ultra quick line to central london and massive bit of land with few limitations they've not really considered the rail line at all, no station for it. It's rare for such a huge empty bit of land next to a London rail line to become avaliable for devellopment and they're not taking advantage of the opportunity at all. It'll be 5,000 homes which sounds a lot but not for 230 hectares, I would've aimed for 20,000 homes, loads of coommercial/office, and a new station, and still 1/3rd of the land can be park/green space and the max height be 6 floors.

[@steve94galway]

Excellent video, from a Galway man. I believe a potential development such as this around Oranmore Station, could be one of the most important developments in the area ever.

[@prpr8904]

The parking garage is a mistake, they generate dead space were people dont want to go, teh rule is as little cars as possible and if you need it for acceptance, put it away from the nice walkable neighboorhood.

[@dt6968]

Don’t even think about disrupting the purity that’s left in Connaught

[@DeathToMockingBirds]

The cars ruin it. Have a central mobility hub near the tram station for bikes and car rentals, but don't allow cars there. Parking spaces induce the demand. Transform the roads in parks or community gardens instead, the people living there won't miss a car (they can rent one ideally cheaply if the expenses like this are shared). This one flaw destroys the appeal of your project.

[@jogoeire]

Missed point as to whether this is a real plan or just speculation. Sold like latter, but feels like former.

[@mitchelleva]

Great video. Well done! Excited to see such quality around Ireland-specific city planning.

[@eamonnca1]

Great stuff. I was surprised to see a parking structure but I suppose it’s better than surface parking. I think a more classical look could be incorporated rather than the modernist wood facade. I recommend spiral ramps rather than sloped floors so the building can later be repurposed for non-parking uses.

[@TalentedTom91]

Reminds me of central Amsterdam. I bloody love walking around that city! So easy

[@Art-is-craft]

It is not working to well for the Netherlands.

[@jamesmullen3601]

"A nation that's known for its builders". It's not really known for its builders in a very positive light.

[@shitlordflytrap1078]

A nation known for evading building code.

[@seamusoneill99]

When I first visited Galway after spending time in Dublin I was surprised at how small it was -- I thought to myself "this medium-sized town is Ireland's fourth-largest city?" Galway does have room to sprawl a bit -- at least as far out as the proposed ring road or the southern edge of Lough Corrib -- but also to build up. Galway to me really doesn't feel like a city at all because it just isn't very dense even very close to the city center. It feels like a suburb and not a city as soon as you cross the River Corrib west into the Claddagh neighborhood or get east of Eyre Square. I feel like transit-oriented development really makes a lot of sense for Ireland in general, however, because of how sparsely populated the country is. Dublin is crowded but everywhere else feels pretty empty -- even by American standards. If you look at a satellite image of a rural area in Ireland, versus France, versus Poland, versus Michigan or Indiana in the U.S., you'll notice how far apart the villages of roughly the same size are, whereas in France and Poland and in parts of the U.S. they are much closer together. Rural Ireland is still pretty depopulated (I presume a legacy of the famine days/constant emigration), and its villages (especially those on the transit lines out of cities) have room to grow. Kildare, Naas, Newbridge, and Navan are good examples of where this is already happening.

[@dazpatreg]

The Northwest is huge and Sligo should be the focal point as a developing urban area. Galway is closer to Limerick than the rest of Connaught or Donegal. You have people from Letterkenny and Sligo and north mayo being forced up to Galway for cancer care since the services were removed from Sligo and considering Galway already has train links to Limerick and it has a motorway link to Limerick, Sligo should be developed as the focal urban area of the northerstern region

[@Lyiad]

This is precisely the type of neighborhood I aspire to live in, lovely design!

[@nologeo]

I love this channel so incredibly much. I love these types of videos, I have great interest in city planning and to see it come into action in my own country is brilliant!

[@lukedunmore]

As a Galway man I couldn't agree with this any more. My own idea was a TOD in the Headford direction. Combining a bypass and a light rail or bus routes could be great!

[@BazingaIII]

Great video, would love to see you cover something similar for Shannon Town in County Clare as Ireland's first planned town.

[@marynadononeill]

Lovely designs. My only comment is to emphasise how important beauty and culture are to human beings. Let's make this a real success reflecting the artistic qualities of the area. Also this region is in an extremely unique landscape. All designs should emphasise the local unique and Irish cultural aspects of Galway and the West of the Ireland. Don't make places that could be plopped down anywhere in the world. Small note - red brick isn't really local to this area. Wouldn't use it.

[@loto7197]

I think that the route cause of these issues is a lack of accountability within county councils, just like the Mica/Pyrite issue still ongoing within the country. If we ensure that council's are held accountable and their staff liable to lose their jobs following instances of negligence, people will do their jobs correctly and the country will begin to improve. They collect their wages every year, happy to make progress an inch at a time, hoping to drag their lazy days out as long as possible. You should not go into politics or work for the council if your primary aim is not to improve the region you are responsible for.

[@yurikaifuture]

All new town planning on this scale should revolve around car-free infrastructure*, for example, a mass transit system (tram, train, metro) as well as pedestrian walkways and separate cycle paths. From here, transport hubs act as the pillars of urban development: Commercial, retail, urban residential, and suburban residential, with each development sector looping back to essential services infrastructure: schools, hospitals, local governance and public services such as community hubs and parks. Industrial areas will need to be located within serviceable distances for waste disposal, recycling, energy generation and distribution centres for goods. The primary transport hubs connect to a wider mass transit system eg national and international connections. Urban residential is formed around multiple occupancy housing - a necessary evil - and suburban being low-level affordable. Without the broader options of housing, the result would not be a livable city and will quickly fall into neglect once the commercial industries relocate due to fluctuations in technologies. Whilst The Garraun Framework includes some of this, it is not future-proofed and will only be an isolated village based on 19th-century style market-town planning. The need is for 21st-century livable towns that have the ambition and allowance to increase in scale over 20-30 years to become livable cities. *Allowances are made for those with reduced mobility and for emergency access eg pedestrian walkways are wide enough to accommodate personal mobility vehicles, delivery service vehicles, and emergency vehicles including air transportation for emergency evacuation and could even include micro-air delivery vehicles (delivery drones etc).

[@AdamM]

I like the last note of the video. Masterplanned communities or cities are rarely good for the residence and cities should grow organically. Great video! ❤

[@drdoolittle5724]

Would be good to see Dutch type transport solutions, bike lanes everywhere and electric/gas powered trolley buses as well!

[@JoaoBarbosa1996]

I'd wager that housing density needs to be increased even more. Why stop at 3 floors? Why not go to double that? Triple? Ireland needs to loose it's fear for tall buildings

[@rod9829]

In terms of geographical distribution Sligo seems more important to the NW region than Galway, so developing there may have a greater *regional* effect than developing Galway, i.e. how does Donegal benefit from having Galway in its region? But the NW region generally doesn’t make sense given it’s low population density and large size

[@RobinKoenig1917]

Ideally the one of the most important Urban areas near Donegal would be Derry, but Partition gets in the way of that reaching its full potential unfortunately

[@jamesmullen3601]

Sligo and the NW region in general would be way more viable if they could ever get around to building decent roads and maybe even a railway line or two like there was a century ago. The main reason the region's population is so low is because the infrastructure, and by extension the services are so poor, resulting in businesses having no reason to set up there, and no jobs to attract potential residents. Meanwhile we have all the windbags complaining about the country being full despite barely anything being built outside of Dublin.

[@IVIRnathanreilly]

​@@jamesmullen3601 Sligo being much smaller than Galway is a benefit too. More space to develop.

[@EannaWithAFada]

As a Native Galwegian and hope to be urban planner don't worry guys, I'll save the city

[@justme9818]

I hope you read my post then...

[@patrickguinnane]

Such a shame such a fantastic idea won't appear in my lifetime anyway. ANY DEVELOPMENT of this magnitude would result in a "Save Galway Bay " type of group of objectors to rise up and delay it for 20 years just like mutton Island....and the ring road. Galway is unfortunately screwed.

[@Gastonicus]

A small bucket of water in a fire. All Irish cities and towns need a new rethink of which TOD is part of a solution. Also taxation needs to be changed to encourage higher densities. Poly see thanks for the video enjoyed it.

[@Art-is-craft]

So you want to use taxation to shape your view of society?

[@mypdf]

That is how taxes work?@@Art-is-craft

[@Art-is-craft]

@@mypdf What as a tool for you to get your politics? Is it not to cover the commons?

[@shitlordflytrap1078]

​@@Art-is-craft Ireland isn't taxing the large tech corporations that could actually cover those commons.

[@Art-is-craft]

@@shitlordflytrap1078 Only profits realised can be taxed. In other words imagined money cannot be taxed and neither can revenue.

[@lordsauron4556]

I get the train from Oranmore to Galway and went to school in Oranmore, so it’s funny to see it here on video like this! The train is pretty convenient at present, but there is a major issue around overcrowding, due to there not being enough carriages. I think the passing loop will help this a lot by increasing the frequency of trains. The city bus (404) is notoriously unreliable and having got it many times and it being severely delayed often I have gotten sick of it as it can’t be relied upon to drop you into Galway on time in the morning. The main issue with buses on the east side of Galway is that the bus lanes are intermittent and the most congested sections of road don’t even have bus lanes (Loyola park, Renmore, etc…) which really ruins it. On multiple occasions I have been on the bus for over 2 hours stuck in traffic, as the bus lanes join in to the traffic at multiple high traffic density points, which is ridiculous.

[@rhmendelson]

This looks awesome! 😍 Please consider girls in your park designs as they need more intimate gathering areas, like long curving benches, or ones that are perpendicular to each other so girls can chat in groups as they like to do! ❤❤❤❤❤

[@irishterminator.]

That's not very PC are males not allowed to chat?

[@patrickcronin3328]

Great video. I Just found this channel, so glad I did!!

[@eoghanolf]

It's worth mentioning that it was the high court I believe who said the proposed second Galway ring road is not possible to put in place and still have Ireland be in line with the Climate action Plan. The second rind road is predicted to increase car use dramatically and reduce cycling in Galway city. That is not something we should be encouraging. I'd be curious to see a video on unactivated planning permissions, the 80,000 housing units that have gone through the planning system despite objections from naysayers, but remain idle on brownfield and greenfield sites across our towns and cities, why aren't builders building on these sites if they've passed the difficult hoop of Planning?

[@Art-is-craft]

Ireland is on a path for massive economic and social collapse. Those proposing some fancy European style planned city are fantasising.

[@matthewlynch9331]

This channel is fantastic

[@RidgeNITRO]

Great video, housing shortages are such a complex issue with so many different options and thoughts for how to solve them. Would love to see more TOD like this in North America!

[@Carjack95]

I grew up and still live in Oranmore and I think there’s a very important aspect overlooked in this video, the side of the train station where the existing car park is is very prone to flooding, and so I don’t see huge infrastructure going into the surrounding sites

[@cmk353]

Not one of the proposed Dublin Metrolink stations have housing included, another reason why it is obsolete before it gets off the drawing board.

[@bikeman9899]

Housing will follow. If you try to do everything at once, nothing happens .

[@dotsfrazer]

Slower migration would be a smart move

[@DidYaServe]

Every Irish city needs a lot of work. Especially in: - Public transport - Commercial dereliction - Housing and rental prices and supply - Large scale buildings e.g. hospitals, event centres etc.

[@jerrybarnes6611]

Something that is never brought up in these "house crisis" rants is that a few years ago we had a glut of ghost estates - where did they all go?

[@owencollins8561]

Great video! Would you ever do a video about the north?

[@Musicaldg1980]

Kudos. Overall this looks very inspiring. If I can be so bold as to off a few important suggestions: - when designing buildings you need to use materials that are appropriate to the weather in the west of Ireland. Wood facades are a terrible option as they require massive upkeep for a rain soaked country like ours. Irish architects are always using the wrong material. Brick, stone and more brick!!! - that leads on to a second really important point. It's all well and good thinking about lovely water features and flower beds in parks and the likes. However Irish councils do not have maintenance crews regularly working to keep things tidy. As such, simple is best so that it will still look semi decent even though it isn't being looked after. - thirdly I would suggest a little more future-proofing in terms of access. One bridge across the train tracks is insufficient long term.

[@secretagentcat]

being an american and seeing how easy it is to get this kind of development is sad to say the least. great video!

[@cooltwittertag]

as a cyclist i heavily dislike designing cycling paths around bus stops like that, pedestrians are very unaware of their surroundings and i myself have limited visibility with a shelter in the way, its bound to cause problems

[@jmk1962]

They used in greater London suburbs and wee a complete nightmare with elderly people being hit by speeding cyclists when getting off buses.

[@belltowersubductions5104]

If it ends up anything like Shannon town, it'll be a failure.

[@pup11074]

The guy on the far right at 0.15 is my friend and ex housemate, much love Richie 😁

[@maycherryblossoms]

I am not from Ireland but I do love urban planning :) Great video and ideas from this American

[@andrewconnolly7169]

Well done on offering new ideas! The region that Galway is in has regional imbalance within itself tilted towards Galway. This won't make much difference to the regions issues, being so far from the centre of it. The location of the new development will always be limited to the south by geography (ocean), The location of the new development will not utilise the unutilised northern rail link to where the rest of the region is. Please consider reproduction archecture for the centre of this town, the Shannon example makes copies of Victorian, Georgian and Edwardian archecture very relevant. I am excited by the ambition, I feel the location should be further east to allow a north south as well as a east west rail link. The character of the center is essential. Its very admirable to offer solutions to improve things folks.

[@user-yl2mc9yj7i]

As Irish Rail have no plans to buy any more trains to run on regional routes outside of Dublin, I'm not sure how there will be a more frequent rail service.

[@user-yl2mc9yj7i]

The passing lop will be just 1km of double track at Oranmore station. It is not double track all the way from Galway to Athenry.

[@jeece711]

That's nice but there is a big issue on this city. It still gives away too much space to individual cars (ie space for pedestrians + cycles vs cars 6:58). This creates islands separated by roads for cars and this will systematically end up over time creating car dependancy. Not so great for a Transit-Oriented city. Roads are useful for high capacity buses and tram, service vehicles (fire brigade, ambulance, delivery, etc.), so we need main arteries to improve their mobility but we need to change the paradigm on the place given to individual vehicles within our cities on all other “secondary arteries" : first pedestrians, then bicycles, then light public transport (light tram and bus) then service vehicles but almost never individual cars. We need to leave individual cars to the countryside and the outskirts of cities (even the smaller ones) !

[@DeadLongEnough]

Another great video. Can you do a piece on the North Quays in Waterford and include a bit on the Waterford-Kilkenny argument over land in that area?

[@HankScorpio]

interesting to see the energy you're putting into this idea, and West of Ireland definitely needs some development, but it seems the city you have is "too planned" like many other artificial cities it won't meet the needs of locals in a natural way. It won't stand up to a storm which Galway has often. Wide American style roads actually increase accidents as people get lazy, and pay less attention. First floor walkways attached to buildings would separate pedestrians and traffic, reduce noise, and keep people away from puddles and flooding. Also you've used a lot of French and European style architecture, wouldn't this be a chance to develop a truly Irish style of building facades?

[@anmise]

Could you guys do a video on a gaeltacht region next? May be some potential for ideas

[@kylejamessmithproductions7848]

Please do a similar video for belfast, and possibly the integration of rail back into Fermanagh, even though the all Ireland rail review made sure it was the only county to not be considered.

[@innerlight6430]

This is brilliant, but as many have allready said given our awful weather there should be as much cover from the elements designed into each street and along paths.

[@GlobalistGazette]

Wonderful! New housing for the Chinese or Ukrainians. Next problem: What are we going to do with all the Irish?

[@shitlordflytrap1078]

The politicians are pissing in your mouth and telling you it's the Ukrainians.

[@SYNvm]

I live and grew up in Oranmore, when I was younger the public transport into town was terrible, we would have to get the limerick or Cork or Dublin buses that would stop in Oranmore. Thankfully the 404 has made it a lot better and a lot cheaper. It just takes too long because of all the traffic. The ring road will fix a lot of the traffic congestion problems, I just hope they can get it done as soon as possible. I doubt it to be honest but we can hope.

[@FotisLambrou]

amazing video, can't wait for the next Garraun video. Maybe you could look at the Granton Waterfront development coming up in Edinburgh next, or are you gonna stay focused in Ireland stuff?

[@charlesharrison2248]

Cycle lanes are great,but i travel all around irelamd,i notice a lack of cylists,and plenty of electric scooters,i wonder is there a move away from healthy cycling to the more easy option of electric personal transport,.

[@davidoconnor1382]

I wonder would Ballybrophy be a good shout for one of these episodes. Was only there once - and by accident - but it seemed like a blank canvas. Fairly far from Dublin but even as a commuter town to Portlaoise, it could work, as Portlaoise’s train station is central.

[@davidoconnor1382]

Also, while I’m at it, the train station in Portarlington is outside of the town and is surrounded to the south by large fields and a woods to the south east. On the rail line to Galway, Cork and Limerick and definitely within commuting distance to Dublin by rail.

[@christianeduardo1]

What a gorgeous jewel of a country Ireland is 😊

[@KeithNedKelly]

Great video! Looking forward to seeing what you can suggest for the midlands.

[@richardwallace2458]

That looks great! But what would you suggest we do about the people who make you think "well, this is why we can't have nice things"? You know the people who won't pick up their dog muck, throw their litter out the car window and generally think it's someone else's job to clean up after them. I suggest including some well designed and aesthetic stocks in the town centre.

[@viagra4x4]

objecting to anything to be build here in Ireland seems so to be a sport in itself.you can even object if you not living in the country.

[@MrMoekanz]

for a new development more consideration should be given to walking cycling, and public transport than even this. we should not be planning car centric developments which induce demand for car travel.

[@deniska0]

Showing cars driving in every single proposal videos clearly indicates what priorities are in this proposal. Authors seems can’t imagine life without cars. Also Putting cycle tracks right beside traffic isn’t smart idea, not pleasant, not safe, not very encouraging. Leon Kruger has few very good urban ideas. Also it’s always good to involve an ‘outsiders’ in these kind projects with different experiences of living and working in different cities, as sometimes it’s hard to think outside of the box, that you grow up in.

[@mirceapopa1485]

Keep up the good work! Consider making a video about modern Rome. It's an amazing city but some of its neighborhoods, even the central ones, like Testaccio are a bit neglected or Flaminio which was build in the 50s with a car centric idea in mind. The city also suffers suburban sprawl and therefore the mayor said that more than 4 subway lines eould be highly inefficient. (Very controversial idea). If you analyze the city i think it can give many ideas for a series

[@klanko64]

06:10 putting a multi story car park beside a train station is terrible TOD planning ffs

[@MR-pj1gu]

Maybe but it is realistic unfortunately for the foreseeable future this is the Ireland is. Ideally a future where it converted into apartments or something cool like a mixed use building with a cinema and nightclub etc

[@klanko64]

@@MR-pj1gu why start from that baseline though? Ireland can be what we build.

[@kacperpietrzak7706]

IMO An introducing new ideas is a process. It is not one step.

[@jettjones9889]

Because people overwhelmingly like cars and don’t want to give them up especially in western counties. The multi story is a great way of getting drivers to use park and ride.

[@klanko64]

@@jettjones9889 some people like cars. people overwhelmingly just want to go from A to B in whatever the most efficient and convenient way is available.

[@ashishmalhotra3602]

Amazing Video ! Great work 🎉

[@jeebusman1015]

Great video. Well done!

[@polysee]

Thanks a lot

[@toniderdon]

7:49 Make those 5 stories. You don't solve a housing crisis by building small buildings like that. It would also look a lot better, if you build classical architecture.

[@Art-is-craft]

Do not solve a house crisis by social engineer planning. Not one city in Europe has success in this endeavour. High rise residential is a trendy idea great appeals to young people not families.

[@Maverickgouda]

I see the greenspaces, but is it possible to also integrate a little urban agriculture in the plan to locally grow a fraction of the produce?

[@Art-is-craft]

Ireland has no need for social engineering green spaces. Ireland cannot even carry out a simple supply and demand of property and every policy it has is brain-rot.

[@josephmurphy1509]

I am sure the name of this new Town will be called Refugee Heaven.

[@shitlordflytrap1078]

Fun fact: your economy would fail without immigrants.

[@doithimaceabhard7457]

It would be great to see more stakeholders in this area to wrest some control from the "Coast-road Cartel" a enclave of wealthy homeowners who dictate what happens in their exclusive patch.... Down to speed limit in the only road!

[@Seb512]

Great and well thought out concept! Though remember, as great as public transport and active travel is, many need to realise that not everyone is made to sit at a computer for 7+ hours a day. We have a skills shortage of practical workers, and most of those jobs require personal transport. We need to cater adequately for different travel needs.

[@shitlordflytrap1078]

You won't have them if you can't house them.

[@Seb512]

@@shitlordflytrap1078 housing is just as important as transport my friend

[@genericcube7587]

One way you could deal with that is by having pedestrianised roads through estates that are closed to cars or only open to residents but then opening up these roads during work hours, eg 9-3 Mon to Fri, for larger vans so delivery drivers can make deliveries or tradespeople can access the houses easily. This would solve the problem while keeping noise pollution down and allowing people to commute safely

[@Seb512]

​@@genericcube7587Problem is that's controlling on people's mobility and may give a false sense of security for kids playing outside thinking the street is free from cars and then hit by a van during those specific times. The real solution is to have neighbourhoods mostly comprising of cul-de-sac narrower roads with wide pavements and driveways for parking only. And then inbetween cul-de-sacs make walking and cycling shortcuts.