Urban Problems Dublin:

Introduction:
1. Two major urban problems facing the developed city of
Dublin are urban sprawl and traffic congestion.

Urban Sprawl:
1. Dublin, being a primate city and the economic engine of
Ireland, has experienced rapid population growth in recent
years due to an influx of rural migrants in search of work.
2. This population increase has resulted in urban sprawl, the
uncontrolled spread of urban areas into the surrounding
countryside.
3. The cost of urban sprawl to the rural landscape has been very
high with habitats such as hedges being uprooted, leaving
wildlife such as nesting birds and foxes being displaced.
4. Natural drainage patterns have also been upset with many
estates being built on river floodplains, which in times of
heavy rain has led to the flooding of homes.
5. The cost of services is higher in areas of urban sprawl than in
Dublin city-centre with sprawling estates requiring more
roads, water pipes and electricity cables than high-density
estates.
6.

Urban sprawl also impacts water quality and quantity because

the converted land reduces natural water filtration meaning
rainwater and snowmelt are unable to soak into
the ground and replenish the groundwater
aquifers.

7. Urban sprawl has broke down the sense of

community since it requires large amounts of
driving and thus preventing neighbours from
interacting socially with one another.

8. The increased ease of access to the urban areas

also leads to the decline of the traditional land
practices, such as agriculture and forestry jobs.

Traffic Congestion:
1. The greater Dublin area now contains over 1.6 million people
with an average of 402 cars per 1000 people and this high car
ownership, coupled with the urban growth, has led to an
increase in traffic congestion.
2. Cars stopped in traffic produce a large volume of harmful
carbon emissions and these harmful emissions can cause
smog and respiratory problems in a community due to poor
air quality.
3. With Dublins commuting hours being twice the European
average and 30% more than the US average, the longer
running time of vehicles means a much higher rate of
pollution.
4. Traffic delays also slow down the shipping of cargo making it
difficult for delivery trucks to remain on schedule when
travelling often congested routes.
5. Workers who encounter unexpected traffic may also become
late for work or other appointments, causing a loss in
productivity for businesses and in the drivers' personal lives.
6. Traffic congestion can also make drivers become impatient
and drive more aggressively, resulting in poor health for those
with increased stress levels and putting other drivers in
danger.
7. Workers who have a traffic congested commute home also
have less time to unwind and be with their families, reducing
the quality of live for these commuters.