Public spaces and local democracy

Sir, – I welcome Stephen Mulhall's suggestion (Letters, May 22nd) about involving more urban planners, architects and others in tackling some of the many problems facing our city.

The big absence, however, is funders. Dublin City Council has been starved of funding over the last 20 years or so and needs an independent source of funding.

Reforming the financing of local government across our country is essential for any real empowerment. Real empowerment is central to any real progress. – Yours, etc,

Cllr DERMOT LACEY,

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(Labour),

Dublin 4.

Sir, – We wouldn’t close a road that was overused. Regardless of how noisy it was for residents. Regardless of how polluting it was. We would not close it, suddenly, and without warning and hope that the traffic disappeared. Because redirecting traffic is hard, but apparently redirecting people is easy. – Yours, etc,

CHRIS LEE,

Dublin 2.