Envision Belfast -

Scholars and urban planners envision Belfast as a “post-conflict city” , moving away from a narrative defined by "The Troubles" toward one of economic regeneration and artistic expression.

The first, unavoidable layer of any vision of Belfast is its recent past. For thirty years, the city was a global byword for sectarian conflict. To envision the Belfast of 1990 is to envision a fractured landscape of "peace walls," military checkpoints, and a city centre that emptied at dusk. This was a city defined by division—between the Falls Road and the Shankill Road, between the Lagan and the Lough. Envisioning Belfast today requires acknowledging that these divisions have not vanished. The peace walls, though now adorned with tourist art and messages of hope, remain standing in over twenty locations. The legacy of trauma persists in mental health crises, in segregated housing, and in a political system still largely defined by the constitutional question. A truly honest vision of Belfast cannot be a utopian one; it must include the shadow of the past. envision belfast

Belfast currently suffers from poor air quality in core traffic corridors (particularly the Westlink). To in 2050, we must visualize a city that has decoupled itself from the private car. Scholars and urban planners envision Belfast as a