The Irish Planning Institute (IPI), the all-island body for professional planners engaged in physical, spatial and environmental planning in Ireland, have announced the shortlist for the 2017/2018 Planning Awards.

The IPI seeks, through the Irish Planning Awards, to highlight innovation and achievement in Irish planning. The Awards acknowledge the diverse range of plans and projects on a national and international basis taking place in complex and dynamic planning environments.

Celebrating success and excellence in Irish Planning, the Planning Awards:

• Demonstrate to the general public and to the planning and other associated professions, successful and innovative planning projects and developments through which the quality of life of the general public is enhanced and improved, socially, economically and environmentally.
• Promote create and enhance conditions favourable to the promotion of sustainable development.
• Illustrate the diversity and wide scope of planning activity today: in regeneration of urban and other areas, economics and leisure, transport and traffic management, as well as promoting economic and social cohesion and enhancing cultural identity.
• Demonstrate clearly the advantages of the participatory planning process, facilitated and enabled by professional planners, showing how the cooperation between and the direct participation of stakeholders, local authorities, development agencies and interested public can have a synergistic effect of benefit to the whole planning process.
• The scope of the subjects to be considered for the awards embraces published plans and studies, projects involving community participation, and significant physical development, either at a trans-national, national, trans-regional, regional or at a local scale. The themes or topics are freely chosen, they do not have to be considered of “national relevance” to be submitted.

For 2018, the Judging Panel have shortlisted projects for Awards in the following categories:

Plan Making

This category is for plans representing the best of the art and science of spatial planning. This can include plans, projects, strategies etc. and the innovative use of technology in such plans.

• Bandon Transport and Public Realm Enhancement Plan – Cork County Council
• Tipperary Renewable Energy Scheme – Tipperary County Council
• Monaghan Town – Dublin Street Regeneration Plan
• Planning Scheme for the Clonburris Strategic Development Zone
• Poolbeg West SDZ Planning Scheme

Participation and Engagement

This category is for plans, studies, strategies and projects which demonstrate how public participation has been effective in changing outcomes. It can include measures to increase engagement and awareness of planning or innovative public consultation

• Longford Nua – Longford County Council
• A Transformational Approach to the Planning of Strategic Infrastructure – Eirgrid
• Pilot Town Centre Health Check Training Programme – Heritage Council

Design

This category rewards the best in design from urban design or public realm plans to individual projects which respond to their context in an urban or rural setting.

• Bandon Transport and Public Realm Enhancement Plan – Cork County Council
• Dodder Greenway Public Realm Plan – South Dublin County Council
• Monaghan Town – Dublin Street Regeneration Plan
• Poolbeg West SDZ Planning Scheme

Planning and Economic Development

This category rewards projects that stimulate tourism or economic development

• Fingal Heritage Properties – SLR Consulting
• Mydoorstep Property Portal – South Dublin County Council
• Munster Vales – Tourism Development International

Winners across each category will be announced at the Irish Planning Institute Awards Dinner, held in association with Fingal County Council at the Grand Hotel Malahide on 8 February 2017.