Regional Planning: Strategy and Growth

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Achieving balanced regional development depends on aligning national policy with regional and local priorities and ensuring effective delivery on the ground.

In this episode, Tanya Whyte MIPI, Assistant Director and Senior Planner with the Northern and Western Regional Assembly, joins host Dr Seán O'Leary MIPI to discuss the role of regional planning in shaping sustainable growth and investment.

At a time of significant legislative change, evolving regional population targets and the need to embed ambitious national climate action commitments in regional and local policy, Tanya explores how regional planning can translate national ambitions into practical outcomes. Drawing on more than 30 years' experience across local authority planning, enterprise development and regional planning, she reflects on the challenges and opportunities involved in delivering balanced and sustainable growth across Ireland.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

Career transitions from local authority to regional assembly

Strategic coordination roles of Irish regional assemblies

Translating the national planning framework into local development plans

Balancing rural population growth and urban development targets

Designing smart regional policy objectives for effective monitoring

GUEST DETAILS

Tanya Whyte is the Assistant Director for Planning and Economic Development at the Northern and Western Regional Assembly, where she leverages over 27 years of public sector expertise to drive strategic spatial policy.