Understanding THRIVE: How Ireland is reimagining sustainable urban regeneration

We recently reviewed three LGIU resources on Ireland’s THRIVE initiative from 2025. Across these resources, a clear narrative emerges about the way THRIVE is redefining what urban regeneration can be, standing as a model for how environmental stewardship, social inclusion, and economic vitality can converge to create urban centres that truly thrive.

Taken together, these three LGIU resources show THRIVE as more than a regeneration funding programme, it is a coherent, values-led model for reimagining Ireland’s towns and cities. THRIVE demonstrates how heritage-led regeneration can deliver environmental responsibility, economic renewal and social benefit simultaneously.

Across participatory co-design, sustainable urban strategy and the reuse of heritage buildings, THRIVE ensures regeneration reflects local identity and community needs. Its success is measured by physical transformation, improved wellbeing, stronger civic pride and the development of town centres as places to live, work and gather.

As Ireland continues to respond to climate, economic and social change, THRIVE offers a transferable blueprint for place-based regeneration, which supports resilient, inclusive and future-facing communities.

What is THRIVE?

The Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme (THRIVE) is a transformative grant programme for local authorities under Ireland’s two ERDF Regional Programmes. Co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union and co-designed by the Regional Assemblies and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, THRIVE is part of a broader strategy under EU Cohesion Policy to regenerate towns and urban centres, especially through the adaptive reuse of vacant or derelict heritage buildings. To date €120m funding has been awarded to local authorities under THRIVE.

THRIVE’s design and application strongly align with the New European Bauhaus (NEB) concept, which is built around a triangle of core values: sustainability, aesthetics, and inclusion. Projects are evaluated against these values, and applicants must demonstrate how they will foster sustainability, beauty and inclusive participation from the earliest planning stages.

THRIVE is reshaping Ireland’s approach to heritage—not as a set of static monuments, but as living places that anchor community life, support local economies, and embody shared identity. Co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through ERDF Regional Programmes, THRIVE channels investment into adaptive reuse of publicly owned, vacant and derelict heritage buildings in designated town centres, guided by the New European Bauhaus (NEB) values of sustainability, aesthetics and inclusion.

Launched in 2024 with €120m across Ireland’s three regions, THRIVE Strand 1 has provided funding to local authorities to strengthen integrated urban strategies and develop project pipelines in 29 town centres. THRIVE Strand 2 is providing funding to 19 capital regenerative projects across 17 counties. Together, these strands encourage compact growth, balanced regional development and community-led placemaking that transforms historic buildings into contemporary, inclusive assets.

For further context, the following resources informing this update are listed below.

1. Ireland’s THRIVE programme – sustainable, inclusive and aesthetic urban regeneration

Credit: Southern Regional Assembly

This article explores THRIVE, the Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme, a transformative town and city regeneration grant programme for Irish local authorities. It unpacks the details of the programme, in particular examining the benefits of investment in long-standing derelict public buildings across Ireland’s towns and cities.

THRIVE illustrates how funding programmes can serve as a catalyst for change, embedding vision, innovation and ambition into local regeneration—and the New European Bauhaus offers precisely the approach needed. THRIVE projects in Mallow, Waterford, Gorey, Navan and Galway demonstrate the three cornerstones of NEB: sustainability (environmental regeneration), aesthetics (enhancing beauty and sense of place), and inclusion (co-design, citizen engagement, accessibility).

As these early projects advance through design, implementation, and reuse, they will become increasingly powerful living labs, inspiring wider adoption of NEB-aligned planning across other towns and cities. THRIVE isn’t just restoring buildings—it’s nurturing a new design ethos in Irish town regeneration, born at the intersection of Europe’s green vision and local vibrancy.

2. THRIVE: uniting communities through participatory co-design

Credit: todamo on iStock

Urban regeneration has long been a challenge for local authorities across the globe. In Ireland, as a demonstration action for local government in the European Union, the government, in partnership with the European Institutions, have advanced a new funding programme under the umbrella of the Country’s Regional Assemblies. Through a programme called THRIVE, local councils in Ireland are being supported to regenerate significant parts of major towns across the State, building upon long-term investment under other national/local initiatives such as the Urban Regeneration Fund. Driven by a bottom-up set of criteria, the Thrive Initiative is based on the New European Bauhaus (NEB) principles. If successful in Ireland, similar types of programmes could be rolled out across the rest of the European Union over the coming years. Indeed, in the UK, a not dissimilar initiative called Pride in Place is also being implemented. As a result, in a short period, there should be a renewed direction for Europe’s towns, from which authorities across the globe can consider, as they too grapple with the need for substantive regeneration.

This short briefing looks at the progress in Ireland to date, citing examples of projects now underway across the Republic.

3. THRIVE: Ireland’s sustainable regeneration approach for urban centres

Alexandra Mitache on unsplash.

As urban centres across Ireland face the dual challenges of climate change and socio-economic transformation, the THRIVE (Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme) scheme emerges as a pioneering model for sustainable development. Co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union, THRIVE is not only revitalising vacant and derelict heritage buildings but also reimagining town centres as resilient, inclusive, and environmentally conscious spaces.

Following the success of its participatory co-design approach, THRIVE is now being recognised for its strategic integration of sustainability principles, particularly those aligned with the New European Bauhaus (NEB). This concise read examines how THRIVE is integrating sustainability at the core of urban regeneration—through design, co-creation, and long-term planning.

4. THRIVE conservation, restoration and adaptive reuse of Ireland’s built heritage

Credit: Dawid Kalisinski Photography on istock

The Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme (THRIVE) is a €120m, EU-co-funded initiative in Ireland. It focuses on the adaptive reuse of vacant, publicly owned heritage buildings in town centres, aligning with New European Bauhaus values. THRIVE promotes integrated urban planning, community-led placemaking, and the transformation of historic sites into sustainable, inclusive cultural and economic assets.

Throughout 2026, LGIU, in association with the Regional Assemblies in Ireland, will feature specific case studies from Ireland’s local authorities, detailing each project currently being delivered with the support of THRIVE. Watch this space!