Waterford City and County Council picked up the Placemaking and Planning award at the recent KPMG Irish Independent Property Industry Excellence Awards 2026 for the transformative South Quays Plaza project.

Now in its eleventh year, the KPMG Irish Independent Property Industry Excellence Awards are regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the Irish property sector and are endorsed by the country’s leading professional institutes and representative bodies. The awards recognise the organisations, projects and individuals shaping the future of Ireland’s built environment.

The South Quays Plaza is the first part of the highly ambitious North Quays Regeneration project to be delivered and opened to the public, providing a significant new public amenity for residents and visitors alike bringing vibrancy and vitality to Waterford’s South Quays.

Situated on what was once described as the “noblest quay in Europe”, the new riverside plaza serves as a gateway between Waterford’s historic city centre and the rapidly evolving North Quays regeneration area.

The opening of the new plaza reclaims the most central and prominent section of the South Quays, providing a landscaped, accessible and high-quality public space in the heart of the city for locals and visitors to Waterford to enjoy. 

The plaza also forms a key gateway of the city’s future connectivity plans, linking the Waterford Greenway via the sustainable transport bridge to the South East Greenway from Dungarvan to New Ross.  The new 207-metre sustainable transport bridge is due to open in late 2027, further strengthening connections between both sides of the River Suir.

Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. Liam Brazil, congratulated the Council’s project team on securing the win, saying “This award is a tremendous recognition of the vision and hard work that has gone into delivering the South Quays Plaza. While the project has created an exceptional public space in the heart of Waterford, it has also successfully regenerated and revitalised an important part of our city.

“The plaza provides a welcoming and accessible environment for residents and visitors while also strengthening links between the city centre and the transformative North Quays development. It is a prime example of how thoughtful planning and placemaking can enhance connectivity, improve quality of life and help shape a more vibrant and sustainable future for Waterford.”

The North Quays is a flagship urban regeneration project delivering one of the largest ever investments in the city and region. This transformative development is supported by public funding from the Towns and Cities Regeneration Investment Fund (formerly URDF), the National Transport Authority (NTA) and the Department of Transport.

-ends-