“If you aggregate all these data sets together, you’ve got something incredibly powerful to solve the housing crisis” – Dr Philip Crowe
Ireland’s housing crisis shows no signs of easing, yet across the country thousands of buildings sit empty and underused. A new episode of ADAPT Radio confronts this paradox, asking whether artificial intelligence and open data could finally crack the problem of vacancy.
Hosted by science journalist Dr. Clare O’Connell, the episode “Vacant No More: AI and the Future of Irish Buildings” features UCD’s Dr. Philip Crowe, Assistant Professor for Climate Responsive Design, and Milo Dennehy, a Research Assistant in the UCD School of Computer Science undergoing a BSc in City Planning and Environmental Policy. Together, they outline a bold project that uses AI and geospatial tools to map vacant buildings and explore how these spaces might be repurposed for housing and community use.
One of the biggest hurdles, they explain, is simply knowing what’s out there. Data on empty properties in Ireland is notoriously patchy and fragmented across local authorities, government departments, and outdated records. Dennehy highlights the challenge of unifying these messy datasets, stressing that getting the ‘where’ right is as important as the numbers.
The conversation also looks abroad for lessons, from France to Philadelphia and beyond. Dr. Crowe points out that vacancy isn’t just a numbers game. Revitalising town centres, reducing carbon footprints, and supporting urban resilience all depend on how effectively Ireland can reimagine its unused spaces.
From town centre revitalisation to the surprising power of open data, this conversation explores how AI might help Ireland turn vacancy into vibrant possibility.
The full episode is available now on Spotify and SoundCloud.
