Are you an architectural graduate or early-career architect with a passion for urbanism,
placemaking, and creating vibrant, inclusive communities?

Cork County Council is seeking enthusiastic and creative individuals to join the dynamic
new County Placemaking Unit, a growing multidisciplinary team that offers a unique
opportunity at the intersection of design, policy, and community development.

This newly established unit is part of the Directorate of Economic Development and
Strategic Planning, where we collaborate closely across place-shaping, regeneration, and
planning policy functions to deliver the ambitions of the County Development Plan. This
unique role allows design excellence to be embedded across both policy and practice,
ensuring that high-quality design thinking influences every stage of our towns’
sustainable development.

The County Placemaking Unit champions the integration of social value into urban
design, building community resilience and supporting local economies through the co-
creation of exceptional public realm design. Our work spans master planning,
architectural, and landscape detail design, with a mission to reveal, redefine, reimagine,
and enhance the character, heritage, and liveability of Cork’s towns.

We focus on towns designated within Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs),
celebrating the historic character while introducing innovative, sustainable, and people-
centred civic spaces. Our vision supports compact growth, biodiversity, and liveable
town centres, creating places for people, not just for cars.

Over the course of a three-year temporary contract, successful candidates will gain
immersive experience in the workings of local government and multidisciplinary
collaboration. Working with engineers, planners, ecologists, and communities, you’ll
contribute to infrastructure and public realm projects that put people, place, and planet
first—while also addressing broader issues like climate change, mental health, and social
equity.

Key themes of the new County Placemaking Unit include:

• Public Realm Design for Urban and Rural Settlements. Developing people-
and nature-focused exemplar projects that support local economies, social
inclusion, and biodiversity net gain.
• Compact Growth & Sustainable Development. Designing urban strategies to
regenerate and densify heritage town centres in alignment with climate
adaptation and compact growth objectives.
• Cross-sectoral design advice and integration. Collaborating across
departments including Planning Policy, Roads, Development Management,
Heritage, Climate, Active Travel, and Town Centre First.
• Policy Integration & Innovation. Provides placemaking traffic calming applying
design tools like the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets (DMURS),
Healthy Street and Nature Based Solutions including SUDS.
• Participatory Co-Design & Community Engagement. Leading early design-
stage engagement with local communities and stakeholders to co-create
grounded, responsive design outcomes.
• Advanced Visualisation & Communication. Using high-quality 3D design
approach, diagrams, and digital tools to communicate design intent and support
inclusive co-design.
• Cultural & Heritage-Led Placemaking. Prioritising Ireland’s townscape and
streetscape heritage in public realm design, respecting place identity while
introducing meaningful quality design innovation
• Innovative, Genius Loci Design Response. Delivering innovative, context-
sensitive design solutions with sustainability, circular economy principles, and the
use of indigenous material enhancing the spirit of place.
• Design Codes & Best Practice Guidance. Develops county-wide placemaking
design codes to standardize, yet place-specific, best practices in public realm
improvements enhancing the authenticity of individual towns.
• Policy Alignment. Applying European, national, and local policy (e.g., New
European Bauhaus) to shape sustainable, inclusive, and beautiful places that serve
the most vulnerable.

Further information is available in the Candidate Information Booklet available on our website