According to a new survey, a substantial number of people in the Republic favour taller buildings and higher density developments as a means to increase housing supply in urban areas.
The survey carried out by research company Behaviour & Attitudes, commissioned by employers’ group Ibec, found that two-thirds of the adult population in Ireland supported the development of six to 12-storey buildings “in appropriate areas”.
This is in line with the default minimum height standard of six storeys set out in the Urban Development and Building Heights Guidelines for Planning Authorities (December 2018), the report noted.
The survey conducted in April did however detect “a significant generational gap” in attitudes to building heights. The proportion in favour of six to 12 storey buildings was roughly three-quarters of those planning to purchase a home at some stage over the next 10 years and those in the “pre-family” stage of life.
Currently building heights in Dublin are lower than in other cities across Europe, including comparable-sized cities such as Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Paris.