Sir, – Frank McDonald writes in his column about the threat to "Dublin's character" posed by the prospect of Dublin City Council loosening planning restrictions on high-rise construction projects ("Dublin's character is threatened by high-rise plans", Opinion & Analysis, May 16th). His reservations are solidly based, and caution should indeed be exercised in this area, especially given the vandalism of Dublin's streetscapes which took place in the 1960s and 1970s.
However, we are in the midst of a severe housing crisis, with rents spiralling and house prices exiting the realm of the affordable for many. Furthermore, the lack of an effective, state-sponsored strategic building programme has led to an abundance of featureless suburban sprawl, clogged roads and public transport pushed to its limit. All of this impinges on Dublin residents’ quality of life.
Surely a mature and practical acceptance for alternatives to urban sprawl is due. High density development is a necessary part of urban living in most developed cities of over a million people, and it has obvious environmental and infrastructural benefits.
Our new Government must act to alleviate the housing and quality of life issues besetting this city, and a serious approach to high density must be an essential part of that. – Yours, etc,
EAMONN O’CONNOR,
Maynooth,
Co Kildare.