About This Project

Western Development Commission

TRAVEL TO WORK – LABOUR CATCHMENTS IN THE WESTERN REGION

Client Overview:

The Western Development Commission (WDC) is a statutory body that was established in 1997 to promote social and economic development in the Western Region (the counties of Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Roscommon, Galway and Clare).

Task:

The WDC commissioned People and Place Limited, to undertake an analysis of the Census 2022 travel to work dataset. The challenge was to provide a detailed understanding of the travel to work patterns of workers living in the Western Region by creating a series of labour catchments – the areas from which a town/city draws most of its’ workforce. The study also aimed to examine the changes in the travel to work patterns that have occurred in the WDC Region since 2016 and 2006.

Approach:

Working with the latest travel to work data from Census 2022, the lead analyst on the project developed a detailed model of travel flows from all Electoral Divisions (EDs) in Ireland to towns with a population of greater than 1,000. The modelling process resulted in the production of the final 43 catchments across the region. A detailed socio-economic profile and commentary was then developed for the seven main town labour catchments in the region: Galway City, Sligo town, Ennis, Castlebar, Letterkenny, Roscommon and Carrick-on-Shannon.

Results:

The project output was a detailed report that documents the travel to work patterns of those living and at work in the WED Region in 2022. The report contained a wide range of commuting flow maps, socio-economic profile charts and graphics and detailed social and economic commentary. This report provides information for prospective employers and development agencies. The report and datasets can also be used in determining labour catchments for various services including transport, which will be of interest to transport providers, planners and local authorities. The outputs of the report will also be a useful evidence base for researchers and planners engaged with County and City Development Plans (CDPs), Local Economic and Community Plans (LECPs), Local Authority Climate Action Plans (LACAP) and the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSES) for both the Northern and Western Regional Assembly (NWRA) and the Southern Regional Assembly (SRA).