A design challenge aiming to transform Waterford city’s Cultural Quarter has been launched.

It will see the design industry working with the community in the quarter to solve problems and issues.

Residents and businesses in the O’Connell Street area are invited to submit details of the challenges they face, with the winning entry getting two and half thousand euros in seed funding.

It’s being run in collaboration with WIT’s Design department and the closing date for entries is the end of September.

Emma Harran is in charge of liaising with the community as part of the Cultural Quarter project. She says the community want to be engaged and have their say and they are not coming in with any initiative and they want residents to tell them what they want. They will then meet with designers and put ideas in place which will be presented back to the Community to see if they are happy with them.

Katherine Collins is the project manager of the Cultural Quarter. She says they are interested in hearing concerns about everything from amenities for children to proper public lighting.