“Measuring the Performance of Gateways: How are Ireland’s Primary Urban Centres Developing?” Adrian O’Donoghue - Policy & Research Officer BMW Regional Assembly ESPON, Brussels,

Border, Midland and Western (BMW) Regional Assembly Established: 1999 Designated of Ireland into 2 Regions for EU Structural Funds Purposes 3 Areas 1-ERDF Programmes (€452m) 2-Policy&Research 3-Interreg Role

1.Ireland’s Gateways (PUCs) 2.Measuring the Performance of Gateways 3.What Does the Final Index Tell Us? 4.Application of the Index Presentation Overview

1. Ireland’s Gateways

National Spatial Strategy Gateways + 9 Hubs ‘Draw development away from the Greater Dublin Area’ GROW ECONOMIC REACH of Regional Growth Centres v

2- Set About Measuring Performance

Socio-Economic Index Has been Developed to: 1)To Measure How Ireland’s Gateway (Cities & Towns) and Hub (Towns) are Driving Economic Development and Improving Quality of Life in their Areas – as Set out in the NSS )TO-DATE No Composite Measure of Performance 3)Reflection of a Growing Need to Move Beyond Traditional Macroeconomic Indicators to Include Quality of Life/Soft Data 4)Index builds upon the concept of UN’s Human Development Index (Ireland 7 th 2012) WHEN? (x3) 2009 – 2012 – 2015/6 Longitude Approach Logic for the Development of an Index

1. A Distinct Core Necessary for Dynamic Urban Centres; 2.Attractive Physical Settings and Desirable Social Surroundings; 3.Attractive Place to Live and Work (High Quality of Life); 4.Knowledge-Led Economy with a Diversity of Employment Opportunities (Mixed Sectoral Economy); 5.Environmental Excellence; What Makes a Successful Gateway/PUC ?

Step 1- A FUNCTIONAL AREA APPROACH TO ANALYSIS

Zone 1 Urban CoreCity/Town and Environs (as defined by Ireland’s Central Statists Office) Zone 2 Gateway/Hub Catchment or Functional Area * District Electoral Divisions (DEDs) Where in Excess of 20% of the Resident Population in Employment Commutes to Zone 1 for Work *CSO: Place of Work Census of Anonymised Records (POWCAR) WHERE do Gateways/Hubs Stop? Defining Gateway/Hubs Functional Areas (Economic Reach)

Economic Reach Gateways 2011 (PUCs)

Step 2- Capture Key Socio-Economic Factors (by Zones)

Growth Centre: Population Growth Prerequisite Vibrancy: Low Dependency Ratios = Attracting Working Age Cohort New Firms/Sectoral Mix-Higher Services Desirable/ Lower Unemployment Rate 3 rd Level Education % of Workforce Locally Created Knowledge - R&D Spill-over Impacts Tend to be Local Water Quality Reflects Physical Environment - Waste Recovery, Measure of the Level of Recycling

Connectivity Level – Transport, Broadband and Level of Retail Activity (Attracts people-measure of overall Economic Vitality) Mortality Rates – Birth Weight (Health Measure) – No. of GPs per Capita High Crimes Levels – Negative Impact on Economic and Health Systems, capacity to attraction FDI, capital flight & brain drain (*UN-Global Report on Human Settlements) Affluence and Deprivation Index Scores (Trutz Haase) – Affluence Levels in Performing Gateways

Step 3 PERCEPTION STUDY to COMPLEMENT HARD DATA + Stakeholder Engagement

The survey questionnaire asked 250 Gateway residents to comment on each of the following subjects (6.2 error rate =/-) : Awareness of the Gateway idea Business and Employment in the Gateway Education, Skills, and Training Provision in the Gateway Services in the Gateway Health and Well-being in the Gateway Social Facilities/Supports in the Gateway Physical Environment in the Area in the Gateway Institutional Environment in the Gateway Overall assessment of the Gateway as a place to live Perception Study Design

Stakeholder Consultations County and City Managers Association (CCMA) and Regional Planning Guideline Officers (Dublin Workshop) BMW Region Ballaghaderreen Workshop (Ballina/Castlebar,Galway, Midland, Sligo and Tuam) Monaghan Workshop (Cavan, Dundalk, Letterkenny and Monaghan) S&E Region Waterford

3. What Does the Final Index Tell Us? 9 Individual Gateway Reports 1 Composite Hubs report 1 Summary Report

Economic Reach Growth % ( ) Dublin 17.2% All Other Gateways 17.9% (Galway 24.8%)

Letterkenny Functional Area 2011 (more than 20% in DEDs Commute to Z1 for Work)

Total Number Commuting from County Donegal to Derry City 2011 (NI Census 2011)

(+) - Higher Population Growth - Increase 3 rd Level in Labour Force -3 rd Level R&D/Student (increase) -Strong Retail Activity Levels -IT Connectivity Gains -Lower Mortality Rates -Higher Birth Weights -Lower and Decreasing Crime -Zone 1, Gateway Avg. (4.9) -Z1+Z2 Letterkenny (4.6) Brief Overview GHDI 2012 Letterkenny (-) - Higher Dependency Ratios -Lower Levels of New Firm Formation -Low Actual 3 rd Level R&D/Stud. -High Unemployment Rates -Lower Recycling Levels -Low Sustainable Transport -Lower GPs per Capita -High Levels of Deprivation -Zone 2 (4.3)

4. Working with the Index

1.Measure of Socio-Economic Performance of the FUNCTIONAL AREA + ECONOMIC REACH OF Primary Urban Centres 2. Quantitative Index Both Economic & Social (Quality of Life Factors) Included 3.Longitudinal Study: 2009, 2012 and 2015/ Repeatable at All Geographic Levels Utilisation of the Index

5. Analysis Tool: to Support Evidence Based Policy Making by Local, Regional and National Authorities in Policy Making/Programme Evaluation/Future Planning e.g., NSS Review 2014/2015, New Regional Spatial Economic Strategies (2014) 6. Further Analysis a) On-going Briefings with Local & Regional Authorities b) Publications c) Feed into Preparation of Regional Operational Programmes by both Regional Assemblies Application of the Index

7. Online Tools: icators (All-Island Research Observatory- National University of Ireland Maynooth) (Dept of ECLG) 8. Next Index 2015/16 Application of the Index

Thank You