ah but where does the city centre end and the suburbs begin. Victoria Cross is about a 10 min walk from the City Centre. IMO the stretch of land on the left going out from the city centre along the Western road and Carrigrohane road would be perfect for high rise (10-15 story) apartment developments. There is also a lot of development land available ( the old petrol station, greyhound track etc) These apartments would be on a main road and within walking distance of the city centre and not really overlooking current residential estates in the nearby "suburb" of bishopstown. Instead people are buying 3 bed semis in places like Midleton, Macroom, Bandon etc which are 20-30 miles from the city and not really where they want to be. This is also causing major traffic problems in the City. I also think the issue of design is a red herring. If this is the issue they could insist on certain architectural standards rather than banning outright all high rise ( btw I don't agree either with their definition of high rise as anything that is four stories)