Galway City Council's Public Realm Strategy was recognised as one of the winning projects at the recent Irish Planning Institute 2019/2020 Planning Awards.

The strategy, which provides a vision of place, design guidance and outline project proposals to improve Galway's streets and public spaces, came out on top in the Design category. This was awarded in recognition of the project's response to the environment in an urban or rural setting.

Speaking at the awards, IPI President Dr Conor Norton said: "The IPI Planning Awards celebrate success in planning and the 2020 awards saw an increase in both the quantity and quality of projects considered. We introduced new categories to the awards this year to afford organisations the opportunity to display a greater diversity of projects."

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Thee Strategy was nominated in two categories: Design and Participation & Engagement.

Welcoming the news, Mayor of Galway City, Councillor Mike Cubbard said: "The Galway Public Realm Strategy will make the city centre as welcoming and accessible to everyone as possible. It promotes universal design and helps open up the city to all. It will make getting into and moving around Galway much easier."

The Galway Public Realm Strategy, which was also nominated in the Participation & Engagement category, was commissioned by the Planning Section in Galway City Council and was prepared by Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners, Dermot Foley Landscape Architects and TOBIN Engineering in conjunction with Council staff on the steering committee. 

(CM/MH)