Cities Reborn

I still believe that there is n opportunity for the irish boardsheets to produce a decent once a week architecture/urbasism column/page. With the exception of Shane’s once a fortnight piece in The Sunday Times, we’re very poorly served by the print media.

It doesn’t matter how much stuff is printed in the Irish Architect or Plan magazines, the general public never see an issue.

All we have is a few commentators on architecture and little or no critism especially on pre planning or even submission stage …why are they so afraid …don’t want to upset the paymasters !!

Gas to see me fellow Dubs went bonkers last night on Halloween……..the gaelic barbarian tribalist customs celebrated…..bonfires, knifings, robbings, poisonings and drunken debauchery etc…..and that was just the kids. God only knows what went on outside the Pale.
Gas to see there were firebrigades stoned down Macken Street…………Is’nt this is where Calatrava’s other bridge is proposed and the locals ……..civically enlightened and all objected to it.

The eduction of Irish people of the civic urban environment around us and how to behave in it is indeed greatly needed.

Aside from o’toole’s Sunday Times articles, I think there’s some good architecture/planning articles in the property section of the Irish Times.
Frank McDonald often writes them but they’re usually buried midway between Sherry Fitz and H&M ads.
I do think there’s a huge fear of putting that stuff in main section chiefly because of what Conor Brady called ‘metropolitanism’.
They’re afraid of doing a page about Dublin, because the culchies will write in and bemoan the fact that they are being ignored.
But, I genuinely think that what happens in the capital – especially considering its size – has a national significance. Everybody visits Dublin at least once a year.

Because there is the attitude of “I don’t give a shite” in Ireland that nobody cares what the place looks like. We are too tolerant as a people saying “oh they mustn’t have enough to do” in places like this thats why they have graffiti around the place.

We have the problem that we tolerate things like people dropping rubbish everwhere, pissing and puking all over our streets – then where there is a case brought the judge wants evidence of the litter dropped??? What are they supposed to do about urine – bring a bottle of it to the court (literally taking the piss).

Sorry about the rant but I despair about the attitude of people in this country. This is why we have rampant inflation in the place – publicans & shopkeepers put up prices – people moan to each other, but never actually complain en masse, in France, Greece etc people do complain and protest about price hikes – and it works. People are just selfish – I think the perfect name for a political party would be “Me Fein” because that’s all people are interested in.

There is no civic pride in this town (as can be seen by the amount of Chewing Gum everwhere) and anybody who tries something is sneered at. Anyone who is caught littering/soiling the streets should be made to take a week off work and go on litter picking up duty, just like in primary school – that would teach people a lesson.

It must be Monday.

I heard an official from the Corpo giving out about having to spend 70k on tidying up after the Halloween bombfires. Why can’t they organise some fireworks and a street party come concert as was organised by Belfast City Council for children and adults alike around the public space that surrounds the Odyssey Arena. Belfast held a public party for 50,000 and not an ounce of trouble. Derry City also had a great party along the Foyle. The Corpo (DCC) harp on about ‘enhancement of the public realm and soft finishes’ this is a great line often repeated by Jim Barret. We are treated like cattle in this city when it comes to open spaces and facilities / play space for children. Grafton St for instance on a Saturday is pure bedlam too many and too narrow.

True……and as it ‘s getting large gatherings of people are not encouraged by the Corpo and the Gardai, remember the shamefull fiasco about giving the Irish soccer team a calvacade through the city centre after the World Cup. Instead every body was shunted up to the Phoenix Park. What’s the purpose of having the likes of Smithfield at all.

The only street markets that we have left lie along Meath Street and Thomas Street of a Saturday and again as Simon rightly says we are treated like cattle, everyone including babies in buggies fighting to walk along narrow footpaths and been gassed by gridlock traffic that would not be allowed to traverse these so narrow streets on ‘market day’ in most foreign cities. DCC have no interest in city markets and would love to drive the last of the small traders out of the Liberties and the rest of us to Dunnes and Superquinn ……….do they work hand in hand ??