TV series visits Cork as it addresses Ireland's population boom

THE population of Ireland is expected to increase by more than a million over the next 20 years, but where will all these people live?

The country is already struggling to house its current population, so clearly drastic plans are required. The issue is tackled in the next episode of Eco Eye on RTÉ1 on Tuesday at 7pm.

Without an integrated approach to planning, Ireland’s cities are on track for a future with continuing sprawling growth, stagnation and a detrimental impact on our environment.

The National Planning Framework has never been clearer or joined up in terms of infrastructure investment following planning — rather than the other way around. Under this new plan, over 40% of all new housing has to be delivered within existing urban areas on brownfield sites which could transform city life.

In Eco Eye, Duncan Stewart travels to Cork and Limerick to find out if we can retrofit our cities and build communities suitable for families within the city limits.

He’ll show how individuals and communities together can feed into the planning and development process that shapes the development of our communities into the future.