The David McWilliams Podcast
Episode: Can You Prosper Without Building Proper Cities?
Date: February 24, 2026
Hosts: David McWilliams & John Davis
Episode Overview
In this incisive and engaging episode, David McWilliams and John Davis explore the deep-rooted issues behind Ireland’s chronic urban planning dilemmas. Using the symbolism of two ancient bridges—one in Killaloe, Ireland and another in Višegrad, Bosnia—the hosts unravel how the Irish aversion to density has led to a sprawling, car-dependent society. They dig into the historical, economic, and cultural forces behind suburbanization, drawing vivid parallels with urban planning success stories like Tokyo, and question what holds Ireland back from creating truly prosperous, livable cities.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Tale of Two Bridges: Killaloe & Višegrad
[01:34-07:41]
- David introduces the episode as “the tale of two bridges,” comparing Ireland’s ancient bridge at Killaloe and Bosnia’s bridge over the Drina — both as emblems of how infrastructure shapes and reflects social and political realities.
- “What unifies all the traditions [around Killaloe] is the bridge… where everyone has to come to do business, to cross, etc.” (David, 06:54)
- Reference to The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andrić to highlight how physical infrastructure forges community, commerce, and historical memory.
2. The Irish Aversion to Urban Density
[07:41-10:23]
- Ireland has the lowest urbanization rate in the Western world, with only 8% of people living in flats or apartments, compared to 46% EU average.
- “We have an aversion, a sort of almost endemic aversion to living in apartments. And the result of that is suburban sprawl… extreme commuting by cars.” (David, 09:34)
3. Land, Planning, and the Power of the "Strong Farmer"
[10:23-12:56]
- David contends that planning decisions are driven by the vested interests of landowners ("the land lobby"), benefiting from the rezoning of agricultural land to residential.
- "A financial heist dressed up as bad planning." (David, 11:19)
- The car industry also benefits, tracing back to political connections stemming from the 1950s–60s era of car import monopoly licenses.
4. Car Dependency and Commuting Nightmares
[13:34-22:43]
- Ireland ranks as the most car-dependent society in Europe, lacking significant rail investment.
- Planning encourages urban sprawl; congestion taxes and public transit reforms are absent.
- Notable Statistic:
- 83% of jobs, schools, and colleges are in urban areas—yet only 65% of people live there; the gap is filled by commuter sprawl.
- “We have sun belt developments, but we’ve no sun.” (David, 23:28)
5. Societal Impacts: Lost Time, Lost Vibrancy
[24:19-26:05]
- 90% of Irish residents live in detached or semi-detached houses.
- Dispersed housing drives up the cost and inefficiency of public infrastructure.
- Around 250,000 people in Ireland spend two hours or more commuting by car daily.
- “Such a waste, a waste of time, of productivity, of fuel and energy… There’s no upside to that at all. Apart from listening to podcasts.” (John, 26:05)
6. Global Comparisons: Ireland vs. Tokyo
[34:23-37:37]
- The Tokyo-Yokohama metro area fits 38 million people in a space between Dublin and Portlaoise. By contrast, “we’ve put five Applegreens.” (David, 35:11)
- Tokyo employs prohibitive zoning (only specifying what can't be built) yielding dense, mixed-use, affordable neighborhoods—public transport infrastructure comes first, then amenities.
- “Japanese families live in apartments. They enjoy the services… parks, playgrounds, schools, typically within walking distance. Now, interestingly, crime rates are incredibly low, streets are safe for children.” (David, 37:38)
7. The Cultural Resistance to Density
[28:17-30:52]
- When councils propose denser development (e.g., turning a Dublin pitch and putt into apartments), objections are fierce—accusations of “absolute criminal monstrosities” and ‘destroying the unique area’.
- This anti-density mindset is described as “totally irrational” and leads to “low-density lock-in”—where mixed-use, mid-rise neighborhoods are essentially outlawed.
8. Fragility of the Irish System
[39:00-41:34]
- Overreliance on cars and underinvestment in public transit leave the system extremely fragile—especially vulnerable to shocks like bad weather.
- “Only a gobshite would say to an Irish person that rain is a shock. We can hardly be taken by surprise when it rains.” (David, 39:27)
- Lack of central vision or strategic planning is the core failing, contributing to youth emigration and declining quality of life.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On car commuting:
“Ireland is the most car dependent society in Europe… Suburban sprawl in Ireland is, and one-off housing again, has made the car the default mode of transport.”
(David, 19:42–20:35) -
On the strength of the anti-density lobby:
“How dare you try to turn this area into nothing but housing estates against the will of the local people!”
(Resident objection, paraphrased by David, 29:00) -
On Japan’s zoning logic:
“Rather than what can be built, they specify what cannot be built. And that means that Japanese urban areas have houses, schools, clinics, hospitals, little factories, all co-located in the same area.”
(David, 35:27) -
On rain as a "shock":
“Only a gobshite would say to an Irish person that rain is a shock…”
(David, 39:27) -
On the missed potential:
“What struck me… the real problem is the absolute lack of vision or central planning. Unless we fix this, Ireland is going to become a country of commuters, of people wasting their time, of highly expensive public infrastructure, and eventually of very, very decreasing returns to what we call quality of life.”
(David, 40:18–41:17)
Important Timestamps
- [01:34] – Introduction to Killaloe’s bridge and its history
- [03:40] – Bosnia’s Drina Bridge and the book by Ivo Andrić
- [09:34] – Start of in-depth discussion on Ireland’s anti-density culture
- [11:19] – “A financial heist dressed up as bad planning.”
- [13:34] – Ireland’s car dependency and planning failures
- [16:53] – Key statistics: 83% of workplaces in urban areas vs. 65% population
- [20:35] – 65% of Irish workers commute by car; 43% of secondary students are driven to school
- [23:28] – “We have sun belt developments, but we've no sun.”
- [24:19] – Cost of sprawl: infrastructure & extreme commuting
- [26:45] – Dublin: 3rd most congested in Europe, 11th in the world (95h/year lost)
- [34:23] – Introduction to Tokyo as urbanization model
- [37:38] – Japan's dense, mixed-use, safe, affordable city logic
- [39:27] – System fragility: bad weather, traffic chaos
- [40:18] – Lack of vision as the root of Ireland’s urban dilemma
Conclusion
With wit and a touch of exasperation, McWilliams and Davis trace Ireland’s sprawling, car-centric development back to deep cultural, economic, and political roots, stressing that without vision—learning from places like Tokyo—Ireland faces endemic congestion, unaffordable housing, and stunted urban vibrancy. The episode ends with a call for real urban planning courage: denser, more connected cities and a break from the “absolute lack of vision or central planning” that keeps Ireland literally and metaphorically stuck in traffic.