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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Built 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.
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.
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.
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