City Resilience: A Proactive Response to the Pandemic Brian Geaney , Assistant Chief Executive - Our Public Service 2020

City Resilience: A Proactive Response to the Pandemic

   Brian Geaney , Assistant Chief Executive

Cork City Council Initial Pandemic Response

• Brian Geaney, ACE headed up the
  Resilience Planning Group
• Senior Management Team approve the
  Resilience Action Plan
• Our priority was the safety and health of
  our staff and citizens in addition to the
  providing essential and emergency services
• Quick off the mark, first City to cancel
  St. Patricks Day Parade
• Daily meetings , 7 days a week at the outset
  to deal with pandemic

The pandemic calamity also stirred us to
ask first principle questions about our City

1.   What is our community for?

2.   How is it put together?

3.   What are its basic needs?

4.   How should we provide them?

• The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has shone a
                          spotlight on the resilience of mankind and on the systems
                          and infrastructure that we rely upon in cities for our
                          physical, mental and economic wellbeing.

                        • Lockdown and public health restrictions had a disastrous
                          effect on the social, economic and community life in Cork
                          City Centre
                        • As ACE, I headed up an overarching cross - directorate
A Robust and Adaptive     group to lead collaboration and strengthen our
                          relationships between the Council, partnerships,
Response was needed       businesses, and key stakeholders in order to deliver a rapid
for Cork City Centre      and robust intervention across the City Centre.
                        • Effective consultation was carried out with all key
                          stakeholders and the public on how to safely improve
                          mobility and create attractive places: an urban experience
                          to enjoy
                        • The resulting innovative social concept, ‘Reimagining the
                          City’ is to make our city more compact and more people
                          and business friendly in new circumstances; where we as a
                          people must now adapt to a permanently changed world

‘Reimagining the City‘ Strategy

• At the heart of this innovation was the creation of 14 new ‘people friendly’ pedestrianised streets in
  Cork City centre together with a multi-million Euro enhancement of pedestrian and cycling options
  and improvements to city amenity. (details on www.corkcity.ie)
• The transformation means that up to 1,000 residents and visitors to Cork City can eat and drink
  alfresco - thereby supporting social distancing and local business
• Strategy is constantly evolving and people both inside and outside the City Council are now inspired
  and empowered; its all about leadership and showing the way
• The City Council has just invited applications from ‘parklet partners’ to come forward and adapt the
  installations which convert parking spaces into outdoor seating areas with planting for 10 new
  parklets as a result of a pilot project in Douglas Street , https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40045655.html
• “Here is a great example of a collaborative effort to find new ways of enhancing the consumer
  experience,”- Retail Excellence Ireland

A ‘rip roaring success and
phenomenal public reaction’

  Princess Street , Cork City
      Summer 2020

Together, we have
pressed the ‘Re-Set’     • Cork City is a compact city and the plans are to keep
                           it that way, a liveable and sustainable City.
Button for Cork City
                         • We need to get the ‘inside’ bits right at the heart of
                           the City, to keep life in the City.
We now face the          • Cork needs to remain compact, be light on its feet, be
Twin - Challenges of a     a big personality and one of the best , if it is to thrive.
Global Pandemic and      • The ‘Reimagining the City’ strategy is just the
Climate Change             opening salvo in this journey
                         • Open spaces are critical to the informal economy,
                           which many people depend on for their livelihoods
                         • Open public spaces promote health and productivity

Collaboration is our only way Forward

            Thank you for Listening

       You are All Welcome to Cork City

Brian Geaney
Asst. Chief Executive
Cork City Council