National Spatial Strategy 2002-2020. The National Spatial Strategy (NSS)36 provides a twenty-year planning framework aimed at achieving a better balance of social, economic and physical development and population growth across the regions. The NSS represents an important territorial development framework and defines a long-term spatial development strategy, to which other national policies should adhere. The NSS calls in particular for a focussing of investment around a network of nine competitive Gateways, supported by an additional nine Hub towns as well as other large towns in order to drive the development of their wider regions. The NSS recognises the divergent levels of economic growth between and within the BMW and Southern & Eastern Regions and underlines the importance of more balanced regional development as a policy priority. The NSS sees population growth as a key asset which can be harnessed in order to achieve balanced regional development, which will depend on building strong urban structures to accommodate this population growth right across the country. 35 xxxx://xxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/eGovernment-2012-2015.pdf 36 xxxx://xxx.xx/pdfs/Completea.pdf Figure 20 Map of Ireland showing Gateways and Hubs
National Spatial Strategy 2002-2020. The National Spatial Strategy (NSS)36 provides a twenty-year planning framework aimed at achieving a better balance of social, economic and physical development and population growth across the regions. The NSS represents an important territorial development framework and defines a long-term spatial development strategy, to which other national policies should adhere. The NSS calls in particular for a focussing of investment around a network of nine competitive Gateways, supported by an additional nine Hub towns as well as other large towns in order to drive the development of their wider regions. The NSS recognises the divergent levels of economic growth between and within the BMW and Southern & Eastern Regions and underlines the importance of more balanced regional development as a policy priority. The NSS sees population growth as a key asset which can be harnessed in order to achieve balanced regional development, which will depend on building strong urban structures to accommodate this population growth right across the country. Figure 20 Map of Ireland showing Gateways and Hubs 35 xxxx://xxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/eGovernment-2012-2015.pdf 36 xxxx://xxx.xx/pdfs/Completea.pdf Source: Department of Environment, Community & Local Government The NSS underlines the importance of the Gateways as drivers for regional growth, recognising that this growth is mainly generated by urban centres. It stresses the importance of enhancing the role of the Gateways in regional areas in order to provide balanced growth within Ireland. This forms the basis for the inclusion of an urban development priority in both Regional OP’s in order to strengthen the capacity of the designated growth centres in the Regions to drive the region’s competitiveness growth and to counterbalance the spatial imbalances that currently exist in the regions.
