Uploaded on 2016-09-02 by Jack Hyland

Political stability Economy Job opportunities Infrastructure Environment 2. Why do we live where we live? I live in Dublin, Ireland. 5 reasons why you live there: Job opportunities / economy. I’m a librarian working in higher education and dublin is the only large town in ireland with a critical mass of higher ed. Institutions to support my profession. As Dublin is by far the largest economic hub in ireland compared to other cities, it is somewhere where me and my family can be reasonably certain of future employment in a wide range of sectors. See this image showing Ireland’s population distribution: http://www.thejournal.ie/irish-population-1972445-Mar2015/ Social / cultural / personal reasons. Most of my extended family is based in Cork, a small city about 250km away, with reasonably good transport links making weekend visits feasible. Housing. I live in a small suburb about 4km from Dublin’s city centre and about the same distance from my workplace so I can cycle easily to both, although Dublin’s cycling infrastructure is poor. My neighbourhood has a wide range of services within walking distance - shops, schools, park, library, healthcare. Environment / climate. Although everyone in ireland complains a lot about the amount of rain, the country benefits from a mild, cool climate with extremes being rare. For example, temperatures in summer would rarely go over 25C and in winter rarely below 0C. Dublin, on the east coast, is drier than the rest of the country. Regarding pollution, Dublin isn’t perfect but air and water qualities are reasonably good. 5. Culture / recreation. My neighbourhood and Dublin in general are well served with recreation opportunities. For example, in my immediate vicinity I have the opportunity to do: sea kayaking, sailing, swimming (sea and indoors), karate, soccer, Gaelic sports, climbing and a lot more. Dublin city is culturally vibrant - no shortage of opportunities for museums, galleries, concerts, public lectures, libraries, festivals etc. 3. To what extend does your own place of residence fulfill your ideal livability criteria? Job opportunities / economy - 80/100. Social / cultural / personal reasons. 70/100 Housing. 90/100. Environment / climate. 80/100 Culture / recreation. 90/100. Overall ranking: 82/100. 4. What would you change? Transport. Transport infrastructure in Dublin is a mess. It stands out in TomTom’s congestion rankings:http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/dublin-is-world-s-10th-most-congested-city-1.1818738 Dublin congestion problem is unusually bad for a small, developed city. The only cities worse are fast developing megacities. As mayor would prioritise use of public spaces and transport infrastructure spend based on this hierarchy of need: http://bikemapper.blogspot.ie/2013/10/the-transport-hierarchy.html Dublin at the moment largely prioritises the need of private cars and politically the city is slow to recognise that this is a zero sum game - cars just don’t scale up well in cities so prioritising cars a dead end - it is not in the best interests even of those who are driving. So the measures I would take would include: Making the city more attractive to pedestrians: wide, uncluttered, well paved footpaths. Priority for pedestrians at junctions. Provide infrastructure such as dedicated cycle lanes to make cycling an appealing, non-threatening prospect for all people of a wide range of ages and abilities. Simplify and improve connectivity between public transport networks. Take steps to discourage private car use, such as congestion charging, limiting parking spaces, greater enforcement of fly parking violations. Take steps to prioritise planning and development around urban villages and towns to make the above steps scaleable to support sustainable growth outside the city centre 5. Why do we move? three places that you would select to move Cork, Ireland Reasons. Proximity to extended family Environment / recreation: great outdoor / wildlife, recreation opportunities in this region Security / stability Culture Economy / employment TBH - I don’t have any immediate ambitions to move to any other places and I haven’t been well travelled in recent years so the other places to live and reasons are off the top of my head. Copenhagen, Denmark Transport Infrastructure: education, healthcare Culture Standard of living Environment Berlin, Germany Culture Transport, infrastructure Standard of living Safety, security Economy / employment