The preparation of a Research and Project Cooperation Framework is underway. The aim of this document is to provide a framework for effectively using research and engaging in cooperation projects to support evidence-based decision-making to drive the regional agenda, through healthy placemaking, climate action and economic opportunity.
It is envisaged that this document will guide the continued delivery of an evidence base and build capacity to enable and support RSES development and implementation which is sustainable; people focused; open and accountable.
The Research and Cooperation Programme – which is being developed for the period ahead – will outline the specific research and cooperation projects scheduled over the next four years. To be updated annually, this programme will provide a synopsis of live and proposed projects, along with a list of legislative and policy developments (recent and expected) that may inform future research topics.
EMRA participated as lead stakeholder on the ESPON QGasSP Targeted Analysis Project which focused on the development and delivery of a robust, simple and proportionate method for quantifying and forecasting the relative Greenhouse Gas impacts of alternative spatial planning policies, with pan-European applicability. EMRA led stakeholder input on methodology development and multiple iterations of the various project deliverables. The final main report and the first five Annexes to the Greenhouse Gas Impact Assessment Tool were uploaded to the publicly accessible ESPON QGasSP webpage on 30th November 2022.
These included the final methodology document and case study pilots, including the Ireland Case Study Pilot which focused on Co. Meath. In March 2023, the final version of the Greenhouse Gas Impact Assessment Tool was launched is now fully accessible. In recognition of outstanding limitations relating to tool usability, a follow-up of this project is currently being planned by ESPON with the format yet to be decided. EMRA remains committed to supporting the development of a user-friendly tool for quantifying and forecasting the relative GHG impacts of alternative spatial planning policies in Ireland.
Through participation on the Interreg Europe Next2Met project, EMRA has developed a Regional Digitalisation Roadmap for the Midlands.
This mid- to long-term roadmap was co-created with stakeholders. It focuses on enabling a digital ecosystem in the Midland region. The new framework aligns at a regional level with national and local strategies, and builds on EU best practices, in a way that enhances the implementation of the RSES. With this additional lens providing greater focus to digital solutions in the Midlands, key Regional Planning Objectives in the RSES are strengthened in their implementation for better quality of life and improved investment opportunities in the region.
The Roadmap has now been finalised and is available here: Download Digitalisation Framework for Midlands
The Pathfinder 27 Project, the Smart and Sustainable Mobility Accelerator Programme (SSMA), is being delivered by EMRA for the Eastern and Midland Region.
This is a national programme, delivered by each of the respective Regional Assemblies within their Regions, with the support of the Department of Transport.
The Smart and Sustainable Mobility Accelerator (SSMA) programme aims to support local authorities and stakeholders in the Region to design and implement smart and sustainable mobility projects under the National Sustainable Mobility Policy (SMP) Action Plan 2022-2025.
The SSMA Programme will be delivered in the Region between 2023-2025 and will focus on local authority good practice case study projects across the three Regions. It has four primary aims:
At its core, the SSMA programme aims to increase knowledge, competencies, and understanding of sustainable and smart mobility at local and regional government levels through offering a comprehensive capacity building and mentoring programme, empowering participants to take effective actions for sustainable mobility. The programme consists of an online platform and a series of training workshops. The online platform, named the Sustainable Mobility Academy, is a repository of knowledge, showcasing case studies, project outcomes, and ongoing advancements across all local authorities within each Region for active travel and sustainable mobility. The series of training workshops is for a set of target groups including relevant local authority cross departmental personnel, local authority councillors, community representatives in consultation with Public Participation Networks, and local business and enterprise sector representatives.
In October 2020, EMRA, in collaboration with the other Regional Assemblies, published the Regional Co-Working Analysis. The purpose of the Regional Co-Working Analysis was to provide data that will assist in developing the potential of remote working in our regions.
Download: Regional Co-Working Analysis
The analysis:
Furthermore, the Regional Co-Working Analysis identified eight areas for consideration, the purpose of which was to identify how gaps in information can be addressed, commence a discussion on actions that could be taken and to establish an evidence-based approach to grow remote working. These eight areas of considerations should further inform policy makers of the next steps needed to deliver additional co-working hubs in line with the spatial and economic objectives of the RSES.
In May 2020, EMRA, in partnership with the other Regional Assemblies, published the COVID-19 Regional Economic Analysis. Using GeoDirectory commercial data, the COVID-19 Regional Economic Analysis identified which geographical areas in Ireland, from a commercial perspective, were more likely to be exposed to economic disruption caused by the public health measures. This report informed policymakers at a local, regional and national level to the extent of economic exposure and resilience across each region in Ireland and was aligned to RPO 6.38 of the RSES that focuses on anticipating economic structural change and dealing with economic shocks.
Download: COVID 19 Regional Economic Analysis
OECD 2023 Report ‘Towards Balanced Regional Attractiveness – Enhancing the Delivery of the National Planning Framework’.
In December 2023, the OECD published a new report titled ‘Towards Balanced Regional Attractiveness – Enhancing the Delivery of the National Planning Framework’.
The OECD report highlights that Ireland is a highly centralised and fast growing, creating coordination challenges in terms of delivering key investments and in key policy areas like transport, housing and education. Actors across levels of government recognise a need for a more coordinated approach to the delivery of the National Planning Framework, the principal spatial planning strategy of Project Ireland 2040, which includes also the National Development Plan (public investment).
The report has three objectives which ultimately aim to support more balanced regional outcomes in Ireland:
Through participation on the Interreg Europe PROGRESS project, EMRA has developed a range of resources to support the implementation of RSES objectives for ecosystem services and green infrastructure. These include a green infrastructure and ecosystem services mapping methodology, policy briefs which include ‘how to’ recommendations, good practice handbooks, and infographics.
Download: Interreg PROGRESS Action Plan
In cooperation with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the Ecological Research and Forestry Applications Centre, Barcelona, Spain, EMRA secured Interreg Europe funding to test a Green Infrastructure Decision Support Mapping Approach for Ecosystem Services. This involved developing and testing a mapping methodology to contribute to enhanced decision-making for Green Infrastructure by scoring and mapping ecosystem services for the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council administrative area. In Q4 2021 and Q1 2022, a methodology was developed and criteria were established to transfer the SITxell conceptual model and methodology.
A range of ecosystem services were mapped based on three contrasting perspectives: 1) Intrinsic value, 2) Functional value, and 3) Leisure/Cultural value. The Pilot Action also tested whether these three dimensions might be combined in order to identify the areas maximising the sum and the diversity of values.
The Mapping Approach was evaluated by target users at dedicated workshops in January 2022 and it was determined that the methodology and mapping approach was both effective and appropriate to contribute to the development of a coordinated approach for Green Infrastructure and Ecosystem Services Mapping in the Dublin Metropolitan Area. The technical report outlining the methodology of the mapping approach was launched by Councillor Lettie McCarthy, Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire- Rathdown on the 13th of June 2022. The successful completion of this Pilot Action has improved the implementation of ten RPOs of the RSES pertaining to green infrastructure and ecosystem services and has advanced MASP objectives for strategic green infrastructure.
Download: Pilot Action Technical Report
After completion of the Pilot Action, which was Action 1 of the PROGRESS project Action Plan, Action 2 involved advancing the coordination of a standardised Ecosystem Services and Green Infrastructure Mapping Approach through engagement with regional stakeholders. A workshop was held on 12th December 2022 to support the further development of Green Infrastructure policies and coordinate the mapping of strategic Green Infrastructure in the EMRA Region. In attendance were 25 stakeholders including Planners, Biodiversity Officers, and other experts from across 12 local authorities, representatives from relevant government departments, state agencies, the Office of the Planning Regulator and academia. As outlined in the summary document below, issues of financial and human resourcing for the development of a standardised mapping approach and the need for enhanced GI mapping at all levels emerged as key themes from the meeting.
Download: Workshop Summary Document
The second key meeting took place on 7th March 2023 with the Implementation Group for the Dublin Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan. In attendance were twenty stakeholders including Senior Planners from the seven local authorities in the Dublin Metropolitan Area as well as representatives from relevant government departments and state agencies. At this meeting, it was agreed that green infrastructure scoring is not currently undertaken using a common evidence base or methodology and that the good practice as tested through the Pilot Action provides a suitable methodology to address this. This demonstrated the leading role that EMRA has taken in relation to the promotion of improved governance of ecosystem services in the region.
Theme 1: Measuring the costs and benefits of ecosystem services derived from land use.
Irish good practices include the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan and the NPWS National Ecosystem and Ecosystem Service Mapping Pilot for a Suite of Prioritised Services.
EMRA is responsible for Action 31 of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2021-2025 which recognises the role of regional structures to support implementation with local government, and also to promote the plan to local, regional and national stakeholders through involvement with EU projects. The action directly facilitates the implementation of key RSES Regional Planning Objectives relating to biodiversity, green infrastructure and ecosystem services.
Theme 2: Suporting the integration of ecosystem concerns into sectoral policies and plans.
Irish good practices include the Dublin Mountains Makeover.
In June 2022, Coillte Nature hosted representatives from EMRA and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, with PROGRESS project partners from Italy, Spain, Latvia, Romania and Hungary to see the Dublin Mountains Makeover at first hand.
Theme 3: Exploring innovative finacial and marketing mechanisms for payment for ecosystem services.
Irish good practices include the Protecting Farmland Pollinators EIP-Agri project and Natural Capital Ireland.
In June 2023, following engagement with Natural Capital Ireland through the PROGRESS project, EMRA was invited to participate in the NESC Roundtable on Accounting for Nature in Ireland: Operational Challenges in Natural Capital Accounts. This roundtable focused on the development of natural capital accounts in Ireland and what is required to enable further progress, as well as identifying opportunities and enablers for future utilisation of accounts in decision-making and the enabling policy framework that is required to maximise its potential.
Theme 4: Improving landscape governance for economic and environmental sustainability.
Irish good practices include the Environmental Sensitivity Mapping (ESM) Webtool.
EMRA is represented on the project Steering Committee for the ESM Webtool which is currently funded by the EPA and the Office of the Planning Regulator. The steering committee meets every 6 months and EMRA has actively assisted in promoting the webtool across the region and internationally.
Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly
3rd Floor North, Ballymun Civic Centre
Main Street, Ballymun
Dublin 9, D09 C8P5
Ireland
+353 (0) 1 8074482
