The RIAI in partnership with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (DHPLG), today opened the Joint National Housing Conference.

Taking place in Limerick’s Strand Hotel on 28 and 29 March, this year’s conference, entitled Future Settlement – Living in Towns and Cities, brings together high-profile speakers from government, local authorities, industry, and practice to explore the unprecedented challenges Ireland faces in housing planning, design and delivery in the decades ahead: How many new homes will we need? What sort of homes will they be? And where will they be located?

Opened by Minister Darragh O’Brien TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the conference will include papers on recent Government initiatives such as the Housing for All, Town Centre First and Housing Typologies for Compact Growth.

International speakers Gerard Maccreanor, Andrew Beharraell, Teresa Borsuk, David Birkbeck, Andrew Matthews and Stephen Proctor will bring their experience of European and British practice in large-scale urban regeneration, edge-of-city expansion and small town infill development.

Addressing the opening session of the Conference, Minister Darragh O’Brien said, “I’m delighted to be here today to listen to the fantastic speakers and hear new ideas to help meet some of the many challenges facing us. Together we can play a central role in creating sustainable communities in our cities and towns.  We need to work together to solve our housing challenges, to transition away from fossil fuels and carbon intensity all the time building towards a more resilient and sustainable society.”

Speaking at the conference RIAI President Charlotte Sheridansaid, “We are delighted to be jointly hosting the Housing Conference today. Since we last held the Joint Housing Conference, we have witnessed an unprecedented period in our history which focuses our minds on our reliance and on the place where we live to protect our health and wellbeing. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the challenge of Climate Change and the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Ukraine further highlights the need for resilience, to be less reliant on unsustainable forms of energy and in finding housing solutions to accommodate those seeking refuge in Ireland.”

The RIAI also launched a new Housing Statement featuring innovative architectural solutions to address the housing challenge and a call for “an Architect for every municipality who will be tasked with developing a vision statement for our villages, towns and cities to ensure we are planning our future with quality in mind.” The report is available on riai.ie.

Also included in the programme are a study tour of new Limerick Housing and the presentation of the RIAI Silver Medal for Housing by Minister O’Brien, the winner of which will be announced at the conference.