Today's Dublin is a very different place to what it was five years ago.

The Spire, the redevelopment of O'Connell Street, the expansion of the retail offering, the Luas, the extension of the Fast Bus Lanes, the Boardwalk, etc. all combine to create a sophisticated and appealing city centre environment.

We have seen a significant and positive improvement physically in our city centre. Equally importantly we have seen a positive sea-change in people's attitudes to our Capital City. There is a tangible difference in the way the city is being portrayed in the media, which is contributing to an increase in footfall in city centre in the last twelve months.

Dublin is now a major European Dublin City and one to be proud of. However we need to look at what the city needs to continue to develop and grow into a World Class City.

By 2010 there will be an additional 70,000 people living within the canal ring of the city centre. These are our neighbours and our customers. We need to continue to develop a city that has appropriate levels of access and one that is Safe, Green and Clean. But we also need to improve and diversify city centre living in order to attract a wider spread of residents. We have examined many cities around the world and looked at the best models. Take Philadelphia as an example. In the 1990s it diversified its down-town economy with hospitality arts and entertainment investments that animated the streets, improved the retail and restaurants mix and made Centre City a more attractive place to live. At the same time they ran their Business Improvement District programme - a Public Private Partnership arrangement between a local authority and the local business community that provides a framework for businesses to employ complementary services to those already provided by the local authority in the local BID area.

Through their BID in Philadelphia litter and graffiti were targeted, serious and petty crime fell by three-quarters, 2,100 new light fixtures doubled illumination on the downtown walkways, new tourist attractions sprung up, there was rising hotel occupancy there were more restaurants and cafes and retail occupancy increased - a great success. People attract people. Middle and upper class people moved back into the city, which had previously only accommodated for the poor and the student population in second-rate housing.

We would like to thank the Irish Government both national and local for their support of the introduction of BIDs into Ireland - the tangible benefits have been seen in cities across the US and Canada.

For Dublin We need to create a new Vision for our city that includes: Quality of Life, Transport and a Development Framework Plan.

Public Order also needs to be moved higher up on the priority list by our national and local Government. We in the DCBA have promoted the New York model of Community Courts in order to reduce misdemeanour crime. The result is that the courts reduce crime and assist people getting back into the workforce off drugs and a better quality of life.

Dublin will continue to grow and prosper if we have a good quality of life and environment in the city centre and reliable clean and efficient public service transport between 7.00am - 8.00pm, seven days a week. We support Transport 21 overall and only by introducing a high standard of public transport we will be able to fulfil the demand that is quite obviously there as seen by the great success of the LUAS.

Dublin's working population is living further and further away in towns like Arklow, Carlow, Dundalk and Mullingar. Yet we have vast areas of our city that are under developed and unattractive for quality living. This causes serious transport problems, social problems and generally reduces quality of life. Now that the Port Tunnel is completed we need to plan for the future expansion. We believe that Dublin Port should be moved North out of Dublin Bay over a period of 20 years in stages. That is valuable residential land that could be used to bring more families and life into Dublin City Centre. We need to develop a Framework plan for residential and office functions, particularly in the areas of Grangegorman and Phibsborough. We have seen this already in Docklands. We in the DCBA fully support the proposed redevelopment of the Docklands Area where this new living environment replaces the Deep Sea Port.

In order to rejuvenate parts of the city centre our planners need to rethink their policy on Height. DCBA is not suggesting that Dublin becomes another Manhattan but where 'quality design' is traded for 'height' it becomes viable for developers to improve the visual design, landscaping and interior space.

Looking down the river from Butt Bridge at the most recent developments on riverfront, all you see is a series of different coloured glass boxes. All the same height and all with 100% site coverage. Will any of them be there in 50 or 100 years time? Is there any 'wow factor' in the overall design? Are we building any buildings today that will equal the Customs House or Four Courts in generations to come? Our planners should be leading the debate on design but instead have become so busy that they can scarcely keep up with the task of restricting development. We need higher densities (not higher heights). We need better quality housing units in more attractive open space. The law of economics dictates this can only be done where height is traded for Design. Of those existing residential blocks in the city we need a higher level of management and maintenance.

With all of these elements considered there is no reason why Dublin City can't be a confident world-class city with around 3 million in population in the near future.