1. Challenges for waterfront development
Examples from Belfast and Dublin
Dr Jenny Muir
12th September 2012

2. 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

3. Titanic Quarter outline
75 hectare site on East side of river; plus 10 hectares Northern Ireland Science Park
Phase 1 ( )
*475 apartments & marina
*Gateway office building: Citibank
*Belfast Metropolitan College
*New Public Records Office
Phase 2 (2007 – present)
*Titanic Belfast museum (for 2012 anniversary)
*Film studios (refurbishment)
Approx apartments including social/ affordable
Leisure and office facilities
Small-scale retail, hotel

4. Titanic Quarter today

5. Belfast’s waterfront

6. 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:
Part of a national level Urban Renewal Scheme but also had its own planning powers
Included construction of the International Financial Services Centre, important for the ‘Celtic Tiger’ boom

7. 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:
Sustainable social and economic regeneration of the area (both sides of the River Liffey)
Improve physical environment
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

8. Dublin Docklands today

9. Selected challenges in waterfront development
Connectivity
Heritage – a big responsibility
Housing
Public subsidy – not if but how
Responding to the unexpected

10. 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

11. 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

12. Heritage – the responsibility of selling history
How are the topics selected? Why are they considered important? Whose history? Presented for whom?
Example - Titanic Quarter:
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

13. Heritage example: Titanic Belfast.....

14. Memorialisation of 1,502 lives.....

15. .....and the Drawing Office

16. Housing – opportunities for all?
Belfast Titanic Quarter
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
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

17. Housing: Dublin Docklands
3.300 new homes, 20% social or affordable
Investment purchases in early years led to transient new population
Low space standards in some of the first apartment developments
Social mismatch between new and longer-standing residents
Families not attracted to owner occupation in the area
BUT 20% social or affordable housing achieved

18. 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

19. Responding to the unexpected: Titanic Studios