BUILDING THE FUTURE OF IRISH TOWN CENTRES
Earlier in November, representatives from 31 Irish Local Authorities came together for a training session on how to better integrate the New European Bauhaus values of aesthetics, sustainability, and participation into THRIVE projects from the early stages of development.
“With THRIVE, what we’re trying to do regeneration that is more innovative, more inclusive and benefits everyone,” said Rose Power, THRIVE Programme Executive, Southern Regional Assembly. “This is about being bold, being brave, being innovative, and having a huge level of ambition to create projects that will be genuinely transformative for all of the citizens in our towns and cities across Ireland. The New European Bauhaus gives us that approach.”
The THRIVE – Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme financially supports Irish local authorities in renovating heritage buildings in town centres through ERDF and National co-funding, that incorporate the values of the New European Bauhaus.
“So, the biggest contribution of the New European Bauhaus to our project in Mallow is looking at the participatory approach, the bottom-up approach to developing the project with our citizens and stakeholders,” said Aidan Creagh, Senior Executive Officer & THRIVE Project Manager, Cork County Council.
Hosted by European Urban Initiative (EUI), in partnership with the Southern Regional Assembly, the Northern & Western Regional Assembly and the European Commission, the hugely successful ‘Building the Future’ event in Limerick gave practical advice and shared tools to ensure projects are sustainable, beautiful and inclusive through participatory processes, multi-level engagement, and a transdisciplinary approach throughout the project timeline.
“The principles that we used, which were the fundamentals behind THRIVE for the St Finian’s Seminary & Study Hall, were really community engagement and co-creation.” said Robert Miles, Conservation Officer, Navan, Meath County Council. “Another principle we looked at from the outset was accessibility and asthetics. Any modern insertions that we’re putting in, such as lifts, etc., we’ll be able to work with the original footprint of the building itself.”
So far, 26 projects have received funding through THRIVE Strand 1 to develop integrated urban strategies and for project pipeline development. Also, 5 projects have received THRIVE Strand 2 funding for refurbishment, renovation and adaptive reuse of heritage buildings across Ireland.
“THRIVE allowed us to look at projects that we couldn’t fund on our own,” said Morris Conway, Assistant Architect & THRIVE Project Manager, Waterford City & County Council. “THRIVE funding allows us to research more and take a very much heritage-led approach to the regeneration of the building and repurpose.”
Another THRIVE funding call will open in January 2025 which offers a significant opportunity for local authorities to access capital funding of up to €7 million for sustainable urban development projects.
Elizabeth Hore, Director of Services & THRIVE Project Manager, Wexford County Council said “Even though this is a local project, we are European citizens, so we act locally, but we are aware that we are part of a movement. A sense of place is very important to people and their sense of identity. But the New European Bauhaus recognises it’s not just about buildings and repurposing them. It also recognises that it’s about people. It puts people at the very heart of what we do. And it also recognises that this is about changing people’s behaviours, looking at how we adapt under the green agenda for our future.”
THRIVE is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Southern, Eastern and Midland Regional Programme 2021-2027 and the Northern and Western Regional Programme 2021-2027.
For more information on the ERDF THRIVE funding scheme in the Southern, Eastern and Midland regions and the upcoming 2025 funding call, please visit www.southernassembly.ie/eu-programmes
ENDS
For more information:
Rose Power, Southern Regional Assembly
Phone: 087 7158828
Email: rpower@southernassembly.ie