The modern Irish planning system was introduced on 1 October 1964, when the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1963 came into force ‘to make provision, in the interests of the common good, for the proper planning and development of cities, towns and other areas’. Given the popular image of a post-Celtic-Tiger landscape haunted by ghost estates, ongoing efforts to address the notoriety of some public housing schemes and the fall-out from a planning corruption tribunal which spanned fifteen years, the time is ripe for reflection and analysis on the successes, innovations and failures of the Irish planning system. This book traces the evolution of land-use planning in Ireland from early settlements to the present day and discusses its role in meeting social, environmental and economic challenges and opportunities.