Studentification in Ireland? Analysing the impacts of students and student accommodation on Cork City

Abstract

Higher education institutions (HEIs) in Ireland have experienced a considerable growth in student numbers over the last 10 years. This growth in enrolments is predicted to continue for at least the next decade. The geographies of the student population in cities has been a largely overlooked research area in the Irish context, yet the major HEIs in Ireland accepting these growing enrolments are located in urban centres. Further, urban renewal schemes of the late 1990s actively encouraged the development of purpose-built student accommodation in Ireland to relieve the supply pressures being felt in the private rental sector at the time. The Irish government introduced tax incentives to encourage private investment and development in urban areas, with a particular scheme aimed at student accommodation. This paper offers the first analysis of the impacts of student populations and targeted urban renewal schemes for purpose-built student accommodation in Ireland. After a review of the current research field, the paper offers a brief overview of the student population nationally and then examines a number of recent purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) developments in Cork to offer an understanding of the scale and extent of newly-constructed student accommodation. Finally, the paper offers an analysis of the impacts of PBSA in Cork city.

Keywords:

• studentification
• university cities
• purpose-built student accommodation
• segregation
• gated residential estates

Acknowledgements

The author is grateful to Denis Linehan for his advice and guidance during the writing and production of this article. Thanks also to the referees who provided valuable comments which have strengthened the final paper.