Meanwhile, in Ireland

Empty buildings and spaces present opportunities, not only for use in the long-term but also in the short-term. With that in mind it’s amazing to think that in Ireland as of August 2019 there are 28,063

vacant commercial premises. Add to that the vacant or derelict sites as well as those awaiting development and we’re still only scratching the surface of our underutilised spaces.  The problem of empty space is quickly becoming more apparent with the media declaring the traditional high street is dead and indeed when visiting rural & suburban town centres it seems true. It begs the question, why aren’t we being more creative with how towns and cities use this dead space?

‘Meanwhile use’ has become a catch-all term describing a diverse range of temporary uses for empty buildings and sites. Whilst most will be familiar with the idea of “pop-ups” in the form of shops, you may not necessarily be thinking of other uses that might benefit a local area or population like community facilities, charitable initiatives or even housing. The simple fact is that meanwhile use in its various forms is widely recognised for its regenerative impact in areas suffering the negative impacts of empty space, which can be a compelling idea in itself for local authorities, community groups, landlords or developers with an eye on future development. These short-term interventions can have a lasting effect as well as making financial sense for property owners with otherwise unproductive property attracting costs for rates, security and insurances to name a few.

Interestingly in the UK (with housing shortages and affordability issues similar to our own) the Draft New London Plan includes a policy which specifically encourages the London Boroughs to identify opportunities for the meanwhile use of sites for housing, ‘to make efficient use of land while it is awaiting longer-term development’. We could certainly do with this sort of statutory level forward thinking on this side of the water.

Want to see some in action? Here’s a meanwhile orchard , meanwhile housing, a meanwhile community space and a meanwhile work & retail space.

Image: College Square, Croydon by Fiona Hartley and Ellie Fox Johnson with Croydon Council.

Image credit: Ruth Ward