The annual RIAI conference, Ireland’s largest architectural and built environment conference, which was held recently, centred on the theme of 'cities'.
The conference heard from Sydney city architect Bridget Smyth, mayor of Limerick John Moran, Shane de Blacam FRIAI, John Pawson CBE, Teresa Novais and writer Roddy Doyle.
RIAI president Sean Mahon called on government to put in place the structures to develop and deliver real vision for the development of Irish cities.
He called on the next government to be brave and make the necessary choices concluding that we cannot continue with a ‘business as usual’ mindset and deliver the kind future the country needs. The president warned if these choices aren’t made the country will be unable to deliver on the long-term needs of our people.
Mahon launched the RIAI general election manifesto and called on government to support a renewed vision for our cities and urban centres and transformative change in the planning processes to enable a better future for our people.
Blockages and inefficiencies in the public procurement system
Specifically, the RIAI is calling on government to remove blockages and inefficiencies in the public procurement system, which is time consuming, inefficient, and exclusionary.
Members of the institute report the system as cumbersome and costly. Unfortunately, the system excludes participation when the objective of a public process is that it badly needs to widen access and participation.
The RIAI president also called for a review and rework of the public works contract. The current contract places ‘absolute obligations’ on both parties to the contract which does not reflect how building projects work. This inefficiency leads to costly conflicts and delays in delivery of projects.
Mahon said: "Our cities are places where people live, learn and connect – they must be well planned, well-resourced and places where our people can thrive. We are calling for transformative change in planning and public investment in our cities and urban centres, which will support the compact city model essential for a sustainable and resilient future city.
"We have placed cities at the heart of the conference this year and look forward to debating these issues with our built environment colleagues over the coming days.
"We need long-term vision, strategy, and ambition for each of our cities and urban centres and we are calling on the next government to resource the structures to deliver this change, and to support investment in infrastructure and public space, to enable the delivery of the places our people deserve, safe, vibrant and inclusive and places for future living.”