Conference hears city population to grow by 55% over next 20 years

The Galway metropolitan area – which will increase in population by 55% by 2040 – results in a demand for 650 new homes to be build each year, a GMIT construction conference has heard.

The annual conference last week was the largest construction event in the West of Ireland and was hosted by the Department of Building and Civil Engineering at GMIT.

John O’Regan, Head of Buildings and Places with AECOM Ireland, gave an overview of the construction sector, comparing construction output before the economic collapse in 2006 (€35 billion) to a post collapse figure in 2011 (€10 billion).

Since then, there has been consistent growth year on year. The forecast is for continued growth of 10% this year 2020 to a projected €25 billion.

Mr O’ Regan said there would be some significant changes to the approach the industry must take in the years to come:

■ Energy – renewable energy will be the norm;

■ Transport – electric shared autonomy and more employees walking, cycling and running to and from work;

■ Water – critical infrastructure will have provision of water as a central theme;

■ Buildings – carbon/low energy used in building operations;

■ Cities will be the focus – denser living being part of it;

■ Investor funds – more focused climate-focused investment decisions being taken.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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