Cork Chamber this week welcomed colleagues from Dublin Chamber and members at a workshop in Voxpro to collaborate on urban issues, quality of life, and the future development of city regions in Ireland.
The Cork conversation was a follow-on to the Great Dublin Survey 2016 organised by Dublin Chamber, in which more than 20,000 Dubliners shared their ideas, hopes, wants and aspirations for the future of their city.
The role and evolution of city regions is of heightened importance globally and it is an area of lively debate and perspective. For example, Mercer, who annually rank international cities by quality of life, identify the most important elements of great cities as:
- High security
- Well-structured public transportation
- A variety of cultural and recreation facilities
- High-tech infrastructure
- Good sanitation
Speaking at the event, Thomas Mc Hugh, Director of Public Affairs at Cork Chamber, said:
“Dublin and Cork are the largest city regions and economies in the country and it is critical for both Chambers to collaborate and drive goals of common interest. Cork and Dublin Chamber see the value of setting a clear and ambitious vision and the importance of bringing people with us on this journey. There is a commonality of approach, of recognising the importance of city regions and the elements that make them thrive.
For any vision to come true, all parts must come together. Chambers see the whole picture. For Cork, the combined impact of delivering projects such as M20, flood defences, M28, rapid transports corridors and events centre are transformative and send a strong signal to investors both public and private. We have an unprecedented opportunity in Ireland 2040 and with the competitive €3billion urban and rural regeneration funds and we have an obligation to deliver, for the economic resilience of Cork and for Ireland. We will continue to work with Dublin Chamber, identifying areas for collaboration to ensure both City regions thrive and build on their strengths in an increasingly competitive international environment.”
