River Lagan

Connectivity and the River Lagan, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Name	River Lagan
Place	Belfast
Country	Northern Ireland
Topic	please enter the topic here
Author(s)	Claudia Houck
Completion	Please enter the date of completion
Client	Please enter the client
Project costs	Please enter the costs (if known)


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Note: this case study is for my terminal thesis project, which is not yet complete. So, descriptions of its success, cost, etc cannot yet take place.
The River Lagan runs through the center of Belfast, the largest city in Northern Ireland, with a population of just under 300,000 in the city and about 580,000 in the greater metro area. The city was located strategically at the mouth of the Lagan and has been a port city for its entire existence. The land use along the river was formerly a mix of residential and industrial, but now the industry is for the most part gone. Connectivity around the river is poor and, although there are many amenities located along the river, they are not connected to each other well, either physically or visually. In addition, the river has the potential to serve as a greenspace and ecosystem for many species of birds, fish, etc, especially now as there is currently a restoration project underway to clean the river. So, part two of my project is to design habitats along the river, within the city, so that Belfast can be re-introduced to the wildlife of the area and so that many species of birds will have new habitats for feeding and breeding.

I have a background in environmental health, I was a middle-school science teacher and I am now working on my MLA with expected graduation in May 2009. Additionally, I have visited Northern Ireland several times and lived there this summer, working for a non-profit LA firm that specialized in community projects. It was during one of my many walks around the city this summer that I discovered the lack of connections between parks, neighborhoods, and city centre with the river that literally runs right past all of these amenities.

Belfast sits in a bowl surrounded by hills, encircling the Belfast Lough which looks toward Scotland. The biogeography of the entire island of Ireland is very similar, with rolling hills and a very pastoral setting, which begins at the edge of the city. Culturally, Belfast is still considered to be polarized, although in recent years monumental advances have been made in community relations and the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland are looking forward to a prosperous future without strife such as they experienced in the past. The overall character of Belfast is of a cosmopolitan, European city with a mix of old and new architecture. Much of the built environment was destroyed during World War II, so today there is a broad spectrum of more recent architectural styles along with some beautiful architecture from Victorian era and before. Many people will be familiar enough with the recent history of Northern Ireland and the 'Troubles', but there is a rich history as well to consider with regards to the shipbuilding industry (Belfast was where the Titanic was built) and the linen industry. In the more distant past, there are neolithic settlement sites, evidence of Celtic and Viking people, and Norman forts in the region.

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Northern Ireland has a slightly different culture than the Republic of Ireland, and has quite a bit in common with Great Britain. However, there are many foods, linguistic expressions and accents that are very specific to Northern Ireland and separate it culturally from both Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Politically, Northern Ireland has four main groups of people (although, of course, not everyone fits neatly into one of these categories): Republicans are those people who desire a united island of Ireland and are extreme in this viewpoint: some are willing to sponsor or participate in violent acts to achieve this end. The IRA is one group that has supported this agenda. Nationalists are those people who desire a united Ireland but only by peaceful means. Loyalists are the opposite of Republicans, in that they are willing to resort to violence and extreme measures to keep Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom. The UVF is a paramilitary group that was founded on Loyalist principles. Unionists also wish for Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK but only by peaceful means. So, it is fair to say that unionists and nationalists may disagree politically but are both moderate.

Legally and economically, Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and has the same legal and economic system as the rest of the UK.

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