Sir, – There is a growing sense among residents across south Dublin that we are watching something precious slip away, our natural and coastal environment, replaced by dense, poorly integrated developments that risk repeating the very planning failures we were supposed to have learned from. While the need for housing is undeniable, the form and location of that housing matter just as much as the quantity. It risks becoming yet another example of how planning decisions, when not properly aligned with long-term community needs, can fundamentally alter the character of an area. At the same time, we continue to see underutilised and derelict buildings across Dublin city centre, particularly in areas such as the IFSC and inner city commercial districts. We know what happens when planning runs ahead of infrastructure, when quantity overrides quality and when natural assets are treated as expendable.

Source: The Irish Times March 24, 2026 18:00 UTC