Dublin Public Realm Strategy

[StephenC]

I wonder if there are still any Archiseekers out there – the boards have been so quiet of late. Well here is a new topic which might draw together some of the other threads that have been discussed.

Now that the new Dublin City Development Plan has been adopted (it comes into force in a couple of weeks), the City Council can hopefully start making progress on the promised Public Realm Strategy for the city. Some of the ideas in the Strategy have already been shared and the draft is expected early in the new year.

So I thought it might be a good times to ask what posters would like to see in the Strategy? What themes should the Strategy follow and what ideas would you like to see incorporated? Perhaps comments could go towards making an Archiseek submission.

An interesting article in today's Irish Times interviewing Paul Kelly, Managing Director of Brown Thomas provides some food for thought. In relation to Dublin as a visitor destination, he says:

People want to come to places that are clean, places that are safe and places that are fun and entertaining. The city needs to do that in a bigger and better way... We do what we can within out four walls [BTs]. But there's a lot of dirt and filth, badly maintained streets, badly maintained pavements, badly maintained street furniture.

I also note the Prime Time report last night on the disaster area that is the Liffey Boardwalk.

[missarchi]

I think it's a case of heads down thumbs up to the "teachers" yes miss...

- connect the nots with a k and full stops
- ëb and flow or movement and motion with water. on street stream that is gravity feed with rainwater 300mm deep/wide
- unusual green spaces
- a masterplan with one master and lots of teachers
- re create on
- transport without the baar

[gunter]

Now that the new Dublin City Development Plan has been adopted (it comes into force in a couple of weeks), the City Council can hopefully start making progress on the promised Public Realm Strategy for the city. Some of the ideas in the Strategy have already been shared and the draft is expected early in the new year.

So I thought it might be a good time to ask what posters would like to see in the Strategy? What themes should the Strategy follow and what ideas would you like to see incorporated? Perhaps comments could go towards making an Archiseek submission.

I hate jargon, but I do like the term Public Realm, it has a nice connotation of ownership about it - . . . . . this is what belongs to us, it’s about the part of the city that we own. Londis might own the lease, but their cheap aluminium windows and double size sign are in our ‘public realm’.

I think even the Corpo realize we’re on a learning curve with ‘Public Realm’, we need to educate ourselves, we need to look at just how far we’ve slipped behind accepted international standards. All that urban decay and dereliction in the 70s and 80s probably damaged our psyche, left us thinking that any aul streetscape that doesn’t have half a dozen gaps filled with corrugated iron hoardings and tarmac patched pavement is a good streetscape.

If we are on a learning curve about quality in the public realm, the best way to learn, as always, is by example, and the best way to bring people from point A [where we’re at now] to point B [where we’d like to be] is by showing leadership.

Improving the public realm is probably one of those aspirations that everyone instinctively wants to get behind, so surely the solution is to knock the heads together, City Council, City Centre Business Association, Civic Trust etc. etc., pick a grotty piece of city centre streetscape and use it as a pilot study to show people just how the public realm can be transformed relatively quickly just with the application of a bit of good advice and a few careful interventions.

I might have been a bit harsh on the ‘Academy of Urbanism Awards’ thing on another thread, because I think it’s too easy to give urban awards to cities like Freiburg, with all their natural attributes and sublime architectural heritage, but focussing the discussion on the public realm of places like Freiburg would go along way to illustrating what standards we need to be aiming for.

[publicrealm]

I agree - Publicrealm is very important

New board not so easy to navigate - maybe in time?

[Bartlet75]

An interesting article in today's Irish Times interviewing Paul Kelly, Managing Director of Brown Thomas provides some food for thought. In relation to Dublin as a visitor destination, he says:

People want to come to places that are clean, places that are safe and places that are fun and entertaining. The city needs to do that in a bigger and better way... We do what we can within out four walls [BTs]. But there's a lot of dirt and filth, badly maintained streets, badly maintained pavements, badly maintained street furniture.

I agree with this peoples wanted to stay on clean places and seat on clean street furniture's. I guess in order to do that there should be peoples designated to clean those street furniture's so everyone may see it clean. In that order others may be glad to stay there and have more pleasant time doing their work in the street furniture.

My TV shows

[Cathal Dunne]

Dublin definitely needs a public realm strategy. I love this city, I think it's great and it's got a lot going for it. However Dublin could be so much better with a City Council which actually cared and had a far greater sense of vision. One thing we need is a proper code for shop-fronts so that they blend in with, respect and enhance their contexts. This code must be ruthlessly enforced with severe penalties for breaches of the code. We also need a cull of all the poles which clutter our streets. There are hundreds of redundant poles out there which need to be eliminated. Council workers and those contracted to work on their behalf on roadworks need to be sent on a course on how to pave streets properly. The amount of streets ruined by careless and arbitrary tarmacking are countless and it would improve the urban fabric to have these addressed. We also need to look at redeveloping key districts of the city so as to improve the public realm. Creating pedestrianised squares in places like College Green would make the city much more liveable and attractive. We also need to put design at the heart of what we do and create. Everything should be thought of in aesthetic as well as practical terms. Doing these things would make Dublin truly a fair city.

[Morlan]

In case anyone isn't aware of it, there is a detailed report from the Dublin Civic Trust called "Defining Dublin's Historic Core."

http://www.dublincivictrust.ie/_webgear ... c-Core.pdf

[StephenC]

A good news story from Dublin Docklands

[url]Grand Canal Theatre http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/fea ... 56938.html[/url]

Actually I think Docklands offers a very interesting view on how the public realm can work to build coherence in an area as well as having a more disharmonious influence. Take a walk around Docklands, north and south, and keep your eyes pealed. South of the river the area comes across very well. A limited palette of high quality paving materials consistently applied, wide pavements, formal use of trees and planting, some key spaces of a high quality (the theatre plaza and Chimney Park) and a limited but consistent number of lighting standard styles. There are some minor blips - the half job on Macken Street and the clutter of older lamps and poles on Pearse Street (4 years after the public domain works were completed). Road signage appears to have been kept to a minimum. Overall the new streets have a very clean and consistent appearance, if a little sterile. The quay area onto the dock is well designed and pleasant and the Martha Schwartz plaza adds colour and animation.

Now over to the northside: this area is generally more established and populated than the south side but much of the development happened in the 1990s and early 2000s so it has had time to mature. Luas is the big new thing here, bringing with it a wirescape but a generally well designed streetscape. One of my bugs here through is the lighting. All those repro lights look so out of place in this shiny new city quarter. There are an increasing number of other styles being added as well...mainly by Luas, and the whole effect is to decrease the overall coherence of streetscapes. It would be much better to go all modern in my view. Consider the junction of Mayor Street and Amiens Street/Memorial Road - I counted 6 lamp styles at this junction and the lighting and signage hasnt really been rationalised very well.

Further down towards the Point coherence is lost completely. One thing I noticed about this area in October, during Open House weekend, was the various paving and lighting styles added to new developments without any reference to each other. There is also a lack of overall vision to allow various developments link in with each other via good quality open spaces and well designed new routes. In my view there is a real lack of planning down here. The downturn has obviously had a hand in this. Huge sites remain undeveloped and now derelict, the Point Village scheme hasn't take off as it should and the main "square" is a tarmac surface. Its very bleak down here...I pity those people who splashed out on apartments. What a turn off to city living they must be having. Which brings me to another article in todays Times:

[url]Inner City Living http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ire ... 62190.html[/url]

[StephenC]

One of my big bugs are those large ugly solid bollards which keep appearing about the city. This is by far the worst spot. A DCC team spent the summer up and down Talbot Street repairing broken paving and generally tidying up. Couldnt resist and extra dollup of bollards though.

[Cathal Dunne]

What are the function of these bollards? Are they meant to discourage on-street parking? If so, effective wardening would combat this problem and raise a bit of revenue for the cash-strapped council in the process.

The Dublin Civic Trust document is excellent, it definitely is good reading on this issue. It looks like some of GrahamH's personal archive of photos was used in it too! What would be great is if the Dublin Civic Trust gave drawings and images of what could be done to improve the public realm. Perhaps the self-same GrahamH would post up images of what the Civic Trust would like to do with specific spaces in the city.

[StephenC]

What do you think of this:

Proposed new “casual trading” locations around the City

DCC are planning to go to public tender to gauge public interest in getting involved in new “casual trading” locations around the city.


Full list of locations are below - the level of interest and price that city entrepreneurs are willing to pay will determine the future…

Proposed Location Products for sale Days of Trading Hours of trading
Amiens Street at entrance to IFSC Tea/coffee/light hot & cold food snacks Mon-Sun 7.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
Heuston Station – north east of Luas stop Tea/coffee/light hot & cold food snacks Mon-Sun 7.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
Mountjoy Square at south west corner Tea/coffee/light hot & cold food snacks Mon-Sun 7.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
Irish Life Centre Abbey St Tea/coffee/light hot & cold food snacks Mon-Sun 7.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
Island opp BOI College Green Tea/coffee/light hot & cold food snacks Mon-Sun 7.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
Sandymount Promenade Tea/coffee/light hot & cold food snacks Mon-Sun 7.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
Clontarf Promenade Tea/coffee/light hot & cold food snacks Mon-Sun 7.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
Corner Conyngham Rd & Infirmary Road jnct. Tea/coffee/light hot & cold food snacks Mon-Sun 7.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
Location Products for sale Days of Trading Hours of trading
Dawson Street Night time hot/cold food & non-alcoholic drinks Thurs-Sun 11.00 p.m. – 4.00 a.m.
Fleet St opposite Price’s Lane Night time hot/cold food & non-alcoholic drinks Thurs-Sun 11.00 p.m. – 4.00 a.m.
Harcourt St. Night time hot/cold food & non-alcoholic drinks Thurs-Sun 11.00 p.m. – 4.00 a.m.
Fade St. Night time hot/cold food & non-alcoholic drinks Thurs-Sun 11.00 p.m. – 4.00 a.m.
Island opp. BOI College Green Night time hot/cold food & non-alcoholic drinks Thurs-Sun 11.00 p.m. – 4.00 a.m.
Junction Fownes Street and Central Bank Night time hot/cold food & non-alcoholic drinks Thurs-Sun 11.00 p.m. – 4.00 a.m.
Barnardo Square Portrait Artist Mon-Sun 9.00 a.m. – 9.00 p.m.
St Patrick’s Park Portrait Artist Mon-Sun 9.00 a.m. – 9.00 p.m.
College Green (Junction of Fownes Street and Central Bank) Portrait Artist Mon-Sun 9.00 a.m. – 9.00 p.m.
Boardwalk – Art during the Summer (Jun-Aug) Artist’s own original work Sat-Sun 9..00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
Coppinger Row Irish food produce / Crafts Thurs-Fri 9..00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
Moore Street Variety of products: e.g. flowers, fruit, vegetables, jewellery, etc Sunday 9..00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
Option of Sunday trading at other locations where existing designated pitches currently trade Mon-Sat varies with location Sunday 9.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
Merchant’s Arch Books and / or paintings Sat-Sun 9.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
Newmarket Square Bric a brac Sunday 9.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
Ranelagh Triangle Jewellery / Foodstuffs / Crafts Sat-Sun 9.00 a.m. – 6.30 p.m.
Junction South Great George’s St. / Dame Lane Flowers Mon-Sun 9.00 a.m. – 6.30 p.m.
O’Connell St. (south side of Spire) Flowers Mon-Sun 9.00 a.m. 6.30 p.m.
Top of Grafton Street FlowersJewellery Mon-Sun 9.00 a.m. 6.30 p.m.
Finglas Village Market Variety of products: e.g. flowers, fruit, vegetables, jewellery etc. Sat-Sun 9.00am – 6.00 p.m.

[soulsearcher]

interesting news. cant imagine too many being successful in this weather anyway. what about a design competition to design publicly owned, remove-able kiosks? could solve the weather problem and become an interesting feature of the city, rather than haphazard stalls with napkins blowing away in the wind. I know we have a pretty poor recent history of kiosks in the city but i'd love to see more of the likes of the coffee angel vans and the kiosk at smithfield luas station.

one thing re. moore street location. is that street not chok-a-block with stalls over the weekend, or is it just saturdays?

where can one find further info on this? couldnt see anything on dublincity.ie after a quick browse.

[StephenC]

This is now out to public consultation in case you missed it...

http://www.dublincity.ie/Planning/Pages/Planning.aspx

And if you are a Twit, the Greens are looking for your comments to inform their submission. #DublinPetHates

[GrahamH]

surely the solution is to knock the heads together ... pick a grotty piece of city centre streetscape and use it as a pilot study to show people just how the public realm can be transformed relatively quickly just with the application of a bit of good advice and a few careful interventions.

...and the result is... Fade Street. Remarks on a postcard please. The general consensus I've had so far has been varying degrees of comparison with its RTÉ Two equivalent.

[StephenC]

cue soft dulcet sensuous TV voice....

Fade Street, Dublin
celebrating black tarmac

[Morlan]

Any pics of the Fade Street resurfacing?

[gunter]

[StephenC]

Looking a wee bit different than the architect's drawing seen at the recent Historic Paving Seminar at DCC... A very disappointing scheme in my view.

Just wait until you see whats planned for Clarendon Street!

[Paul Clerkin]

Is that the final finish? Tarmac?

[StephenC]

Yup
The artists impressions suggested a tan coloured surface but Sierra felt black was more practical.
The yellow spray paint washed away after a year or so.

[Paul Clerkin]

It looks temporary. On the upside it means that when the utilities come along and dig it up (which they will, and probably before long), they in theory should be able to patch it neatly

[Peter Fitz]

Surely there's a resin fixed coating to be added yet?

Even at that, it would still look pretty crap...can't believe thats the final finish.

[gunter]

Jeremy Clarkson hasn't branched out into urban design has he?

You wouldn't usually think - formula one, pit-lane, aesthetic - when it comes to the public realm improvement and partial pedestrianization of a three hundred year old street.

If I was Joseph Fade, I would immediately begin haunting the individual responsible for this until he hands in a request to be transferred back down to Drainage Division, where he belongs.

[B.JOS]

Jaw drops! Worryingly I have seen a spate of public realm 'improvements' with tarmacadam footpaths popping up around the place of late.

[soulsearcher]

Saw that Fade Street 'improvement' scheme when I was back in Dublin for xmas. Would be grateful for any updates on whether or not this is the finished scheme or whether it is temporary. That tarmac finish was looking recession-tastic

Gone are the days I used to come home each year to see a new city block or landmark building on the horizon. This year was more about the calmness of the city and the empty shopfronts.