Planning policies are to blame for the sprawl of low-density housing in Ireland that makes people almost wholly car dependent, according to an American expert on sustainable development.
Dr Kevin M Leyden, director of the Institute for Public Affairs at West Virginia University, told The Irish Times he was "shocked" on a bus trip to Sligo last Friday by the number of one-off houses "and even one-off supermarkets" on the edges of towns along the way.
"What they are saying is that you can only shop if you can drive," he said.
"In this, unfortunately, Ireland is following the American model of growth, by producing suburbs which don't have a neighbourhood feel and which are highly dependent on the automobile."
This was happening despite Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's espousal of the idea of "social capital" promoted by Harvard professor Robert Putnam in his book, Bowling Alone, which showed that long-distance commuting is rapidly eroding traditional community life.
Dr Leyden, who is in Dublin to co-host a workshop tomorrow on building sustainable communities, said he detected a "sinking sense" in the midst of Ireland's economic prosperity that "something important is missing, and that something has to do with quality of life".
One of his themes is that quality of life is linked to the way city neighbourhoods, towns and villages are designed. "Good design and good planning have positive consequences, including better social relations, good health and even sustainable energy use.
"If you can walk to places for your daily needs or take public transport that works, you're saving an awful lot of money and you're also much less dependent on cars and carbon fuels. By getting exercise through walking, you're also much less prone to obesity.
"There's a clear relationship between good neighbourhood design and health, even when it comes to depression. Research shows that elderly people who are socially isolated become depressed because they have little social contact with others."
Dr Leyden made it clear he was not arguing that there was "no place for cars" - the issue was to "avoid dependence on them".
Describing the American model as unsustainable, he said: "Instead of having suburbs of Dublin in places like Longford, planning policy here should put the emphasis on revitalising old villages and neighbourhoods in the city that are in decline."
More information on the lecture and workshop may be found at www.feasta.org
