A 10-year strategy for Galway aims to increase new business "start-ups", encourage a higher level of research and development, enhance tourism, build a city museum, an art gallery and a school of music by 2012.
And that's only a percentage of the goals identified in the strategy, which was published last Friday by the Mayor of Galway, Cllr Donal Lyons, on behalf of the Galway City Development Board.
Established in March 2000, Gaillimh! Beo agus Bríomhar! aims to reduce the level of traffic congestion, increase levels of social inclusion, "improve attitudes to racism" and generally ensure that the city is one which "people are proud to be part of, to work in, to live in and which is attractive to visitors and investors alike".
The Galway City Development Board comprises 28 representatives of State agencies, local government, social partners and local development bodies.
More than 800 organisations, groups and individuals were consulted as part of the board's work to put the plan together. Estimated cost of the effort was £130,000, excluding the salaries of city council officials and others who worked on it.
Fourteen separate goals, more than 50 objectives and more than 120 strategic actions are listed in the 120-page document, which was published in Irish and English and is also available in Braille format, audiotape and on the Web.
The economic goals include maintaining the competitiveness of industry in Galway; improving access to quality training programmes which prepare people for the labour market; enhancing the tourist infrastructure; supporting development of commercial port facilities; ensuring adequate telecommunications infrastructure; and developing a comprehensive disposal and recycling programme for waste, which is already at a fairly advanced stage in Galway.
Social goals include increasing a sense of citizenship and ensuring the city is a safe placeto live in, visit and move through. Among initiatives identified are establishment of a community resource centre; production of a homeless strategy, and promotion of Galway as a "disability friendly" city.
It is expected that Galway will shortly sign up to the Barcelona Declaration on the initiative of the National Disability Authority, which met recently in the city.
Cultural goals include embracing and celebrating cultural diversity while also promoting Galway as a centre of "Gaelic and Celtic" culture; promoting, preserving and enhancing flora and fauna habitats, and encouraging innovative and appropriate urban design. It also aims to produce a heritage plan, a parks and recreation strategy and to establish a city museum.
For the homeless, unemployed, for those waiting for beds in the public health system, for the residents of areas already desecrated by insensitive developments, and for the teenagers of the mushrooming residential area of Knocknacarra who don't as yet have a community centre, it may also seem rather aspirational and academic.
However, Ald Michael Leahy, chairman of the development board, warned against cynicism in his speech at the plan's publication. "It is the promise of co-ordinated delivery of services which makes this strategy unique," he said.
As an example of this approach, all the representatives of transport providers and transport users in the city will come together to produce an integrated city traffic management plan. This new transport group, which could be modelled on the Dublin Transport Initiative, will also look at ways of reducing congestion and improving all the public transport options available to people living in and travelling to the city.
Mr Gary McMahon, the board's spokesman, said some of the targets may be met long before 2012. "It is a co-ordinated approach, and one which provides for the first tiny steps," he said.
"A rigorous monitoring and implementation mechanism, which includes six-monthly progress reviews, is written into the strategy, which has already been adopted by Galway City Council."
