The Towns page is intended for local authorities and practitioners working with historic urban environments, providing guidance on recognising architectural character and cultural significance while addressing contemporary challenges such as dereliction and vacancy. It aims to raise awareness of the protection of historic building fabric and archaeological heritage, particularly within designated Architectural Conservation Areas and Zones of Archaeological Potential.
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Inheritance and future-making by Loughlin Kealy
By promoting heritage-led regeneration approaches from both an Irish and EU perspective, this page supports climate change action, emphasising the importance of maintenance, resilience, high-quality conservation practices, and design-led interventions. These strategies contribute to the creation of attractive, vibrant living environments in Irish towns and cities.
Landscape Character Assessment, Architectural Conservation Areas, alongside Zones of Archaeological designation, play a crucial role in establishing a profile for urban regeneration in historic centres. These planning tools encourage careful consideration and enhancement of architectural and archaeological character while supporting adaptive reuse and the sustainable management of change. Ireland’s rich architectural heritage offers immense opportunities for place-making, diverse urban housing, social cohesion, and reconnection to nature, where historic structures serve as a foundation for innovative and sustainable approaches.
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Old Town New Place Symposium, Kilkenny 2024: Understanding the Irish Town by Valerie Mulvin of McCullough Mulvin Architects
Old Town New Place Symposium, Kilkenny 2024: An approach to sharing an understanding of the key characteristics of an urban landscape we see and experience by Professor Finola O’Kane, School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin
Many city, town, and village centres in Ireland are historic places with distinct identities. Their conservation and interpretation make them unique and attractive for both residents and visitors. Sustaining these places requires a multi-faceted approach, including housing infill, maintenance, conservation and reuse of existing buildings, the enhancement of public spaces, and the provision of community facilities. The Town Centre First government policy addresses these key aspects of town regeneration, tackling vacancy, combatting dereliction, and revitalising town centres.
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Communication from the European Commission on the New European Bauhaus
Smart cooperation for urban development (Berlin, Germany, March 11-13)
Citizen participation and urban redevelopment (Cáceres, Spain, March 20-22)
Responsible urban development (Toulouse, France, April 10-12)
Gender planning (Vienna, Austria, May 15-17)
A Master Architect for inclusive public procurement (Brussels, Belgium, June 17-19)
Living Spaces: Heritage-Led Public Realm Enhancement, Dublin Civic Trust
Places for People – the National Policy on Architecture
National Policy on Architecture – Report on Towns Consultation Workshop (12 June 2020)
Town Centre First Initiative Pilot Report
Town Centre Living Initiative Six Pilot Towns: Synthesis Report
Town Centre Living Initiative Six Pilot Towns: Synthesis Report
RIAI Working with your Town and Neighbourhood
The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 provides a roadmap for Ireland’s transition to a climate-resilient, biodiversity-rich, and climate-neutral economy, aligning with the EU Green Deal’s vision of a carbon-neutral continent by 2050. In this context, the repair and repurposing of existing historic buildings are increasingly critical. These structures embody significant energy from their original construction, while demolition and replacement generate greenhouse gas emissions that take decades to offset.
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Built and Archaeological heritage Climate Action – Climate Change Sectoral Adaptation Plan
Heritage and Climate Adaptation Guidance for Local Authorities
National Built Heritage Service Advice Series
Improving Energy Efficiency in Traditional Buildings
In a world of finite resources, innovative approaches—grounded in research and supported by initiatives such as the EU’s New European Bauhaus—empower communities to embrace heritage-led regeneration. Careful adaptation and reuse of cultural heritage assets play a fundamental role in sustainable urban development.
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The New European Bauhaus Toolbox is a collection of tools that can be used for planning and designing NEB Projects
A successful project in a historic urban context relies on a multidisciplinary team of specialists, each bringing their expertise to ensure a sensitive and informed approach. The design team should include an accredited conservation architect or an architect with experience in historic settings, an archaeologist or architectural historian, and an accredited conservation engineer. Together, they provide the necessary knowledge to balance preservation with sustainable development.
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Historic Town Initiatives – The Heritage Council
Historic Town Initiatives in County Donegal – A local authority perspective on heritage-led regeneration
Heritage-led Regeneration – Getting into Action: Historic Urban Landscape Character Assessment
The Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape, was adopted by UNESCO on 10 November 2011. Items 8 and 9 of the Recommendation state:
- The historic urban landscape is understood as the result of a historic layering of cultural and natural values and attributes, extending beyond the notion of a “historic centre” or “ensemble” to include the broader urban context and its geographical setting.
- This wider context encompasses the site’s topography, geomorphology, hydrology, and natural features; its built environment—both historic and contemporary; infrastructures above and below ground; open spaces and gardens; land-use patterns and spatial organization; as well as perceptions, visual relationships, social and cultural practices, values, economic processes, and other intangible dimensions related to diversity and identity.
As the historic urban landscape of many Irish towns holds a composite significance greater than that of individual protected structures or spaces considered separately, this pilot study, Listowel‘s Historic Urban Landscape: A Method for Defining its ‘Sense of Place‘ or Significance, proposes a methodology for Irish Historic Urban Landscape Character Assessment.
This approach has several practical applications to ensure that the built heritage framework forms an integral part of urban renewal, including for:
- Local Area Plans, prepared by Local Authorities under the Sustainable Settlement Guidelines, which call for Landscape Character Assessments
- THRIVE Funding Programme, requiring Local Authorities to prepare integrated urban strategies as the foundation for heritage-led regeneration
- Town Centre First (TCF) Plans, incorporating an understanding of built heritage into the broader Understanding of Place section
Resources
Town Pilot Listowel’s Historic Urban Landscape; a methodology for defining its ‘sense of Place’ or Significance by Professor Finola O’Kane, School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin
Heritage-led Regeneration – Getting into Action: Analysis
Informed by the UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape Approach, the analysis phase of an urban conservation and regeneration project integrates sustainable planning and design, considering both the built environment and cultural heritage aspects.
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Sense of Place Symposium, Waterford 2025: The Irish Town – An Approach to Survival Fifty Years On by Gráinne Shaffrey of Shaffrey Architects
Sense of Place Symposium, Waterford 2025: Listowel; A framework for the Assessment of Historic Urban Landscape Significance by Professor Finola O’Kane, School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin
Historic England Understanding Place: Historic Area Assessments
Historical Analysis
Understanding the town’s history and architectural evolution is a crucial first step. This includes an in-depth review of historical and architectural records, cartographic studies, iconographic sources, and archaeological findings. These analyses help build a comprehensive picture of how the town has evolved over time and what elements hold cultural and historical significance.
Resources
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and Record of Monuments and Places
Heritage Council Publications and Reports
Survey
A thorough survey of the town’s current morphology is essential to assess its physical and material conditions. This includes geometric and photographic surveys of streets, open spaces, and surviving elements of the public realm. Additionally, material surveys identify key building materials, while conservation surveys evaluate the condition of the public realm and significant buildings.
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Research into Incentives for the Reuse of Vacant Buildings in Town Centres
UCD Centre for Irish Towns: Talking Towns
UCD Centre for Irish Towns: Talking Towns Archive
UCD Centre for Irish Towns: Talking Towns Videos
Royal Irish Academy Historic Towns Atlas
Royal Irish Academy Historic Towns Atlas Expert Essays
Dublin City Council Sources for Archaeologists
Historic England Understanding Historic Buildings
Historic England Vacant Historic Buildings
Landscape Character Assessment
To fully understand the historic urban landscape, the assessment must consider various factors:
- The origins and significance of buildings and architectural styles in their national and international context
- The evolution and importance of road and street layouts
- The role of open spaces, such as gardens, greenery, water features, and vistas
- The typology of buildings and urban blocks, alongside their historical relevance
- The identification of key cultural assets that contribute to the town’s heritage
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Historic Ordnance Survey Ireland Maps
EPA Good Practice Guidance on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Landscape
Heritage-led Regeneration – Getting into Action: Statement of Cultural Significance
With the insights gathered, the next step is to define what constitutes the built heritage of the town. Again, following the UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape Approach, the aim is to integrate cultural and environmental sustainability into planning and design.
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The “Reason of Towns“ Exhibition
Built and Archaeological Heritage Values
Key aspects of architectural and cultural significance are identified, including specific heritage sites and areas, relationships between visual landmarks, and the unique characteristics and limitations of the town’s historic fabric. Co-visibility relations and view cones are also analysed to ensure that new interventions respect and enhance existing heritage features.
Heritage-led Regeneration – Getting into Action: Plan Development
The final phase of the process focuses on how to protect and enhance identified heritage assets while fostering high-quality design and a liveable urban environment. At this stage, the guiding principles should align with national and international policy on conservation and quality of design in particular the UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape principles, the National Policy on Architecture and the values of the New European Bauhaus, ensuring that sustainability, aesthetics, and inclusion are at the heart of the project.
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Policy Atlas of Sustainable Urban Development for Small Urban Areas
Community Engagement
An inclusive planning process is essential, involving workshops and consultations with the local community to ensure their voices are heard. Accessibility improvements should be integrated into the public realm, and participatory, transdisciplinary practices—such as those promoted by initiatives like THRIVE and Built4People—should be employed to foster broad stakeholder involvement.
Resources
THRIVE (Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme)
New European Bauhaus Festival 2024: Irish Town Revitalisation
The European Urban Initiative in Limerick
Housing Unlocked: Ideas from a Living Room
Irish Architectural Foundation
Project Strategy for Buildings and Public Realm
In general terms, subject to the in depth process outlined above, any development must respect the town’s historic character while adhering to conservation principles. A few examples of key principles that the strategy should prioritize are:
- Minimal intervention, ensuring that changes are subtle and necessary
- Retention and restoration of original public realm fabric, using traditional construction methods and materials
- Sensitive design, favouring well considered interventions that maintain historic character
- Avoiding intrusive modern elements, opting instead for street furniture and signage that harmonize with the existing aesthetic
- Use of traditional and natural materials, construction techniques and skills, ensuring compatibility with the authenticity of the historic setting
- Encouragement of pedestrian movement and connectivity, incorporating traffic-calming measures such as cobblestone pathways
- Concealment of modern infrastructure, preserving the historic streetscape by integrating utilities discreetly
- Eco-friendly interventions, such as solar-powered lighting and rainwater harvesting, to enhance sustainability while respecting heritage
Resources
Heritage Council Funding Programmes
Old House New Home: RIAI Guidance on Adaptation and Reuse
Renewing your Historic Town or Village
Denny Street, Tralee: Unlocking the Potential of an Historic Street by Gareth O’Callaghan of JCA Architects
Cork County Council Guidelines for the Management and Development of Architectural Conservation Areas
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage Introduction Series
National Built Heritage Service Advice Series
Dublin Civic Trust 18 Ormond Quay
Dublin Civic Trust Conserve Your Building