Office suburbanisation in Dublin : user-demand, urban planning and property development

Abstract

This thesis explores the underlying dynamics which have brought about the geographical shift of office development to new suburban sites during Dublin’s fourth office development boom (1995 -2001). The role of end-user demand, urban planning and property development interests and, crucially, their interrelationship in the post-1995 period is examined. Chapter 1 establishes the literature context with respect to property development, user-demand and urban planning and their prospective role in influencing the location of office development, more specifically its suburbanisation. This process has been variously interpreted by different authors with respect to the relative influence of each element. Chapter 2 sets out the research methodology adopted in exploring this changing geographical trend of office development. A review of secondary sources (published and unpublished) relating to the planning context and the supply of and demand for office space is given. Primary data collection, involving the carrying out of personal interviews and a postal quesfionnaire survey is detailed and an evaluation of the quality and reliability of the data is made. The next three Chapters present the research results with respect to the role of end-user demand, planning policy and the supply-side in Dublin’s post-1995 office suburbanisation. The role of end-users in the emergence of new suburban office sites is examined in Chapter 3.