Corruption and political interference in the planning process has inflicted a "terrible cost" on communities, the Green Party said today.
The Greens planning spokesman Ciaran Cuffe called for the creation a new land-use and planning agency to co-ordinate transport investment and development.
The agency would give final approval to county development plans and ensure local planning approvals were not granted without proper regard for transport. Mr Cuffe said the body would also remove ministerial interference from the planning process.
The agency would also inform the public about large planning applications and provide technical advice to address the public's sense of alienation from the planning process, the party said.
Unveiling the Greens' urban development policy today, Mr Cuffe said planning should be "reclaimed" for the people.
"The legacy of corrupt rezoning has left people without trust in the planning process. Communities continue to suffer from a lack of schools, shopping and sports facilities," Mr Cuffe said.
Developers should not be allowed "call the shots", he continued, adding that the need to curb emissions added to the urgency of integrated transport and urban planning.
Part V of the Planning Act, requiring 20 per cent of developments be given over to social and affordable housing, should be properly observed, Mr Cuffe said.
Better quality developments accounting for the needs of children - such as playing fields and schools - were needed, along with larger apartment sizes and more energy-efficient homes, he added.
The Green Party's political stock is on the rise as environmental and transport issues attract greater public interest. An Irish Times/TNS MRBI opinion poll last week put the party on 8 per cent - double its showing in the previous poll.