Why Ireland’s planning system needs to move beyond paper and into 3D
Industry leaders say immersive visualisation can help communities understand development proposals, improve public participation, reduce planning disputes and accelerate the delivery of homes and infrastructure.
20 June 2026 | đŸ“§ editor@ipropertyradio.com
For decades, Irish planning decisions have been made using technical drawings, maps and lengthy planning documents that can run to hundreds or even thousands of pages. Yet many of the people most affected by those decisions – local residents, community groups and citizens – often struggle to visualise what is actually being proposed.
That was the central theme of a recent iProperty Radio LIVE podcast recording held inside the Lifesize Plans Ireland facility in Dublin, where participants stood inside a full-scale digital projection of a residential tower that has not yet been built.
The project, located near Heuston Station, will include more than 580 apartments and a 30-storey residential tower expected to become the tallest residential building in Ireland. Rather than examining drawings pinned to a wall, attendees were able to walk through apartment layouts and view the proposed development in its wider city context.
The experience highlighted a growing argument within the property and planning sectors that communities should be able to see, explore and understand proposed developments in three dimensions before planning decisions are made.
Speaking during the discussion, Tony Reddy, Chairman of Reddy Architecture + Urbanism, argued that Ireland’s planning system remains heavily dependent on written policies and technical interpretation rather than visual communication.
He contrasted Ireland’s approach with many European cities, where long-term plans are often presented through three-dimensional city models that allow residents, policymakers and elected representatives to see how neighbourhoods are expected to evolve over time.
According to Mr Reddy, planning through visual models creates greater public understanding and can help build consensus around future growth. He suggested that communities are more likely to engage constructively when they can clearly see what is proposed rather than attempting to interpret technical drawings and planning documents.
The issue extends beyond architecture. Participants argued that better visualisation could improve the quality of public consultation by enabling residents to move from simply objecting to developments towards actively contributing ideas and local knowledge.
Carol Tallon, CEO of Property District and founder of Place Engage, pointed to previous examples where visual technologies changed public understanding of development proposals. She noted that many people, including planners and members of the public, find it difficult to accurately interpret traditional plans and elevations. By contrast, immersive technologies allow people to experience a proposed building or neighbourhood from street level and understand its real-world impact.
Gavin Duffy of RealSim Ltd described projects undertaken with local authorities where digital visualisation enabled residents to view proposed public realm improvements from their own homes. In one example, public feedback informed design revisions before funding was secured and construction commenced. He argued that making planning information more accessible helps transform consultation from a compliance exercise into a genuine conversation.
Advocates of the technology also believe it could reduce risk for both communities and developers.
John Foley of Lifesize Plans Ireland explained that development teams can use full-scale visualisation to identify design issues before construction begins. By allowing architects, engineers, contractors and clients to physically walk through spaces, potential problems can be identified and resolved at the design stage rather than during construction, when changes become significantly more expensive.
The benefits may be particularly significant for modern methods of construction and offsite manufacturing, where designs must often be finalised before components are produced. Contributors from the offsite construction sector noted that late-stage changes can create substantial costs and delays, making early visual validation increasingly important.
The discussion also explored the relationship between planning certainty and housing delivery. Participants argued that many delays stem not only from planning applications but from the absence of long-term infrastructure planning. Water, transport, energy and other essential services are frequently delivered only after planning permission has been secured, creating bottlenecks that slow housing delivery.
Several speakers pointed to examples such as Dublin Docklands, Cherrywood and Clonburris, where years of coordinated planning and infrastructure investment have created greater certainty for development. In Clonburris, new apartments are expected to come to market at significantly lower prices than might otherwise have been possible because key infrastructure has already been planned and delivered.
Attention also focused on Ireland’s forthcoming Urban Development Zones (UDZs), which are expected to play a major role in implementing the Planning and Development Act. Under the proposed approach, communities would be consulted much earlier in the planning process, helping to shape development frameworks before individual applications come forward.
Supporters believe that immersive visualisation tools could become a key part of that process, allowing residents to see future neighbourhoods, understand proposed densities and building heights, and contribute more effectively to shaping their communities.
While the new Planning and Development Act allows for the use of digital and three-dimensional planning tools, speakers noted that their use is not currently mandatory. They argued that Ireland now has access to the technology needed to modernise public engagement and improve understanding of development proposals, but that wider adoption will require leadership from local authorities, government agencies and the development sector.
For citizens, the debate is ultimately about more than planning applications. It is about how people understand the future of the places where they live.
As housing, infrastructure and climate challenges continue to reshape towns and cities across Ireland, participants argued that communities deserve more than maps, technical reports and planning notices. If citizens are expected to participate meaningfully in shaping the future of their places, they first need to be able to see that future.
The technology already exists. The question, as raised throughout the discussion, is whether the planning system is ready to use it.
