Galway City Council wins award for Public Realm Strategy

By Amy Blaney

Galway City Council has won a prestigious award for its Public Realm Strategy.

The Galway Public Realm Strategy was declared winner of the Design Category at the Irish Planning Institute 2019/2020 Planning Awards.

The Galway Public Realm Strategy provides a vision of place, design guidance and outline project proposals to improve Galway’s streets and public spaces. The Strategy was nominated in two categories: Design and Participation & Engagement.

The Design Category recognises projects that best respond to their environments in an urban or rural setting.

The theme of this year’s awards was ‘Celebrating Excellence and Innovation in Irish Planning’. The Awards were presented by Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy TD, at a ceremony in Dublin on Thursday night. 

Speaking at the awards, IPI President Dr Conor Norton said:

“The IPI Planning Awards celebrate success in planning and the 2020 awards saw an increase in both the quantity and quality of projects considered. We introduced new categories to the awards this year to afford organisations the opportunity to display a greater diversity of projects,” he said.

Welcoming the news, Mayor of Galway City, Councillor Mike Cubbard, praised Galway City Council’s leadership and commitment to delivering quality and inclusive public spaces for the people of the city.

“The Galway Public Realm Strategy will make the city centre as welcoming and accessible to everyone as possible. It promotes universal design and helps open up the city to all. It will make getting into and moving around Galway much easier,” he said.

Galway City Council Chief Executive, Mr Brendan McGrath paid tribute to all members of the public who took the time to share their knowledge and vision for the city.

“Those who live and work in Galway know their city. They possess immense local knowledge of the way Galway is, both in terms of what really makes the city special, and understanding what the key priorities for change are. This award acknowledges their contribution.” he said.

The winners were:

Participation and Engagement – Laois County Council and Avison Young (Portlaoise 2040 and beyond)

Design (public sector) – Galway City Council with Allies and Morrison (Galway Public Realm Strategy)
Design (private sector) – Ballymore (Dublin Landings Project)
Planning and Economic Development Award – Cork County Council and Research & Dig  (Muscrai Heritage Plan)
Management and Delivery – Limerick City & County Council (Living Georgian City Project)
Planning Workplace of the Year – Dublin City Council
Climate Change –   McCutcheon Halley (Lidl Ireland Rooftop Solar Installation)

Plan Making – Eastern Midlands Regional Assembly (Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy)