Draft regional planning guidelines for the South West start with developing Cork city, the region's gateway, as "a dynamic and progressive European city region" to boost the growth of the whole Cork and Kerry area.
The European aspect is one of the key themes running through the 20-year strategy to make it the primary counterfoil to Dublin, based on a broad vision of the contribution it could make, "not alone to Ireland, but to the wider European Union".
It says the designation of Cork as European City of Culture for 2005 will act as a catalyst for the city to develop as "a major centre of culture" with new facilities, as well as a campaign to get its fair share of national treasures from Dublin.
The guidelines take into account current town, city and county plans and "are an attempt to put flesh on the National Spatial Strategy (NSS)", Mr John McAleer, director of the South West Regional Authority, which drew them up, said.
This region, with 580,000 people, includes several large urban centres. However, the bulk of the population - some 350,000 people - live in Cork city and the towns of Mallow, Fermoy, Kinsale, Bandon, Macroom and Youghal.
The main development zones are identified as the Cork metropolitan area, the "hub" town of Mallow and the Kerry "joined hub" of Tralee-Killarney.
Another zone, stretching from Dingle to Skibbereen, is identified as a "truly peripheral area".
Irrespective of what happens at the core of the region, the guidelines say this area "will continue to experience marginalisation".
The big challenge here is to try to build "critical mass" in designated towns so as to retain their population.
The pharmaceutical concentration in Cork Harbour is seen as a role model to build up clusters of similar type jobs in Tralee and Killarney.
While there has been upgrading of road, rail and telecommunications, the guidelines say infrastructure does not meet international standards.
Among the priorities are more roads and the development of a commuter rail network as well as direct links with the Limerick region.
Cork Airport will reach capacity of three million passengers a year by 2010 and could reach five million by 2220. This meant there was now "an immediate requirement for a further strategic plan".
It is a major objective to safeguard the vicinity of the airport from "inappropriate uses" that would limit its future development as an economic zone. Similarly, Kerry Airport needed better public transport links and high-tech activities.
The regeneration of Cork city, as the key retail and service centre, has been identified as critical to the success of the region as a whole and the engine to drive the growth of Cork and Kerry. The Cork Docklands development is given priority.
The plan says Cork needs additional shopping, leisure, hotel and restaurant facilities. It must also get its appropriate allocation of museums, galleries and art pieces contained in national collections now "closely guarded by Dublin".
On waste, it comes out strongly in favour of incineration "as a necessary technology to support the continued growth of the pharmachem sector". It also calls for the region's ports to be developed because of their critical role as economic agents.
Submissions on the draft south west regional planning guidelines must be made by April 22nd.
Copies of the plan are available form the South West Regional Authority at Innishmore, Ballincollig, Co Cork for a fee of €20. They are also available free of charge at www.swra.ie