Belfast is a city the rise. Among all the cultural and political changes to this great city, major redevelops are proposed which will propel Belfast into the future as one of Europe’s best cities to live in. We have picked the top 10 developments which could see Belfast as the best city on the island of Ireland.

1. The Brand New Ulster University Campus

The new Ulster University Belfast Campus is a £250m project to be sited at York Street adjacent to and opposite the existing Belfast campus building. Around 72,000 sq ft of new university space, and 4,500 sq ft of refurbished space, will be provided to house up to 15,000 students and staff currently based at Jordanstown.

The new campus will consist of four interlinked buildings at York Street, Frederick Street and Donegall Street with entrances on York Street, York Lane and Frederick Street. This project will certainly make great improvements to transform a run-down part of the city.

2. New City Centre Accommodation

One thing that may seem strange about Belfast is that the city lacks city centre accommodation, yet all that is set to change in the next decade. In particular, The Ulster University is massively expanding its Belfast campus which sits on the northern edge of the city. That investment has been followed by a flood of planning applications from private sector housing developers who see an opportunity.

There are currently at least 16 applications in the system which represents about 7,000 bed spaces. Thousands of people living in the city centre will certainly mean an increased demand for many products and services in the city centre which is a benefit to the local economy.

3. The City Quays Redevelopment

City Quays is a proposed 20-acre mixed-use redevelopment of lands bound by the M3 Motorway, River Lagan, Dock Street and Corporation Street by Belfast Harbour Commissioners.

The Harbour Commissioners submitted an outline planning application seeking permission for a mixed-use development comprising a total of 215,563 sqm of floor space. The redevelopment will include up to 120 residential units, parking facilities, a hotel, offices, small-scale retail units, cafe/restaurants and other improvements to infrastructure.

4. Three New World-Class Stadiums

Three major stadiums in Belfast have been marked for redevelopment: Windsor Park, Casement Park and the Kingspan Stadium (Ravenhill). These stadiums are home to the most popular sports in Northern Ireland. The Kingspan Stadium has already been completed and Windsor Park is well underway.

However, the Casement Park has been halted due to safety concerns and objections by residents but it will almost certainly be completed by 2025. These prestigious developments will certainly be a welcome boost for Northern Ireland’s sporting image on the world stage.

5. Queen’s Quay

Queen’s Quay, being a virtually derelict and underdeveloped piece of land in central Belfast, is a key development site of the Titanic Quarter. After a number of development proposals, discussions are still taking place for a mixed-use development of housing, offices and retail, together with a small facility for leisure boats.

One of the most exciting developments for tourists is the possibility of taking a thrilling ride across the Lagan on an action movie-style zip-wire. The zip-wire is part of a Government regeneration plan to develop the Queen’s Quay area, close to the Odyssey complex.

The proposal would see a newly built viewing tower on one bank of the river, with the zip-wire running to the Custom House area on the other side of the river. As well as the construction of a crow’s nest viewing tower and a zip-wire, plans include riverside developments, such as residential buildings, restaurants and a four-star hotel.

6. The Large-Scale Redevelopment of the Titanic Quarter

Although Titanic Quarter is already a well-defined part of modern Belfast with a well-established mix of business, leisure and education uses, this is only the beginning. Titanic Quarter is a 30+ year project with a vision to regenerate 185-acres of waterfront land.

Planning permission already exists for 4,000,000 sq ft, with the focus on developing a Media Campus, extending the Financial Services Centre and progressing additional leisure and tourism projects.

7. The Belfast Grand Central Hotel

A planning application which was recently been approved in June 2015 proposed refurbishment, part demolition and rebuild, extension and change of use of Windsor House for a hotel with associated restaurant and bar facilities.

The hotel will be the tallest in Ireland and will become a major landmark for Belfast’s skyline. At a press event held on 24 June 2015 it was announced that the new hotel will be called “Belfast Grand Central Hotel” – referencing the former Grand Central Hotel at Royal Avenue. The project will cost an estimated £30m, including the £6.5m purchase cost and is due for completion in 2018.

8. Odyssey Quays

The Odyssey Quays site which is currently the Odyssey main car park will be transformed into an almost unrecognisable area within the next 15 years. It will have approximately 800 residential units with associated amenity space, two hotels, offices, retail and retail services, leisure facilities, community and cultural uses, cafes/bars/restaurants, public open space and multi-storey car parking.

9. The Waterfront Hall Extension

The Waterfront redevelopment will add two interconnecting halls; three additional meeting rooms and a new reception area will integrate with the existing auditorium and studio spaces to create the city’s largest conference and exhibition facility, catering for up to 5,000 guests across 7,000m2 of flexible space. The council estimates that the hall will bring in £100 million in its first five years. It hopes that 1500 new jobs will be created in the hospitality and tourism sectors.

10. Belfast’s New Transport Hub

At Belfast City Council’s 3rd December 2015 City Growth & Regeneration Committee meeting, a presentation from Translink representatives confirmed that the new Hub would double the number of rail platforms, increase the number of bus stands, allow for the relocation of the Enterprise service from Belfast Central, integrate with Belfast Rapid Transit (BRT), and involve a wider mixed-use regeneration scheme.

The presentation also outlined a number of layout and design options based on the project brief and site constraints and opportunities. An indicative project timeline suggests an initial planning application could be submitted during 2016 and subject to funding, planning and other necessary approvals, construction could commence by 2018. This will certainly make Belfast more attractive to tourists by making it a more accessible destination.

For more information on all the future developments in Belfast, visit: futurebelfast.com