urbanisto
Forum Replies Created
- Posts
Dick seems to favour the figure of 8 plan to link the two Luas line. I think he was quite clear that not linking the original scheme was a mistake. When pressed about the airport metro over the interconnector he was coy but my impression is that the interconnector is seen as a much more beneficial and necessary project. Both he and Frank made the point of how many people would actually require a metro service into the CC. From a holistic planning perspective light rail seems to have a better chance of contributing to the area it serves in terms of new perspectives and new development. Metro on the other hand gets people around more efficiently and faster.
I thoight it was a really interesting discussion…apart from the usual indignant mad woman who can only see things in the context of her area. Didnt get any free vino! Im disgusted – mine cost €5.20! Particularly impresdsed by the attendance…. lets have more please.
God saw the same thing. What an eyesore. Is permission required to paint features of protected structures such as railings?
Its an ongoing updating scheme. Very welcome too. Can also be seen around the Green. Some of the old posts are ancient looking things. Nice to see stainless steel being used in favour of galvinised. Very much in keeping with our new inSpired street furniture.
Im disappointed with the new design as well. The actual street level facade is still a disgrace though. The two retail units are in bits and that tacky tiling looks old and dates and dirty. It certainly needs attention. The Savoy will soon benefit from dramatically increased footpath space so a little imagination is in order.
The trees are quite overgrown and dominate Foster Place but I think a bit of imaginatioin here could create a feature of them. Some judicious pruning, extension of the pavement and moving the taxi rank and some interesting lighting (in the trees) could creat a really atmospheric place. Ideal for outside dining and drinking. The volume and noise pollution of traffic remain a problem though. Like most areas of Dublin the levels of traffic really dont allow one to enjoy the city. Someone mentioned in the Capel St thread that pedestrainisation has reached its limit in the city and no further schem,es should be considered! Are you mad. More not less is deinfately the answer. Forget congestion charging in the city just reduce the amount of areas that traffic imapcts. Its a small city centre and it is ridiculous that the amount of traffic using it should continue to grow. Westmoreland St is a case in point…its 6 lanes wide! Meanwhile pedestrians jostle for space on the pavements. The Wide Streets Commissioners are turning in their graves.
Good to see my favorite water sculpture back in action. Hopefully the CC do something with the disaster at the top of South Kings St. Either fix it or remove it!
City Coucil are giving the street a makeover. Plans are on display in the Civic Offices for repaving, tree-planting and street furniture.
Widened and repaved hopefully. It certainly needs it. I hate the tarmac. Get rid of the horrible stalls as well.
I wouldnt see any need for a pedestrian element to the Loop Line. Matt Talbot and the new pedestrian bridge at chq more than surfice.
My dream solution would be to put the Dart line underground from the Tolka to beyond Pearse. Mainline and Dart services could be more efficently organised under the exisiting Connollly building linking up with Luas and an underground link to Busaras. Tara Street would again stay underground with office development above. Same for Pearse with the dual line re-emerging between it and Grand Canal. The amaount of land freed up for redevelopment would contribute to the cost of the scheme.
Trinity seem to be proposing a restuarant for the corner building at Foster Place – outside seating would seem to be an excellent use of this street. However the trees along this street wouldn’t make it very attractive to sitting out in except on really warm days.
The new retail development at the BOI across from Parliament House will surely change the footfall of the area so I think greater pedestrianisation will have to be considered in the future.
The median here is very dark and forbidding at night as it is so poorly lit. However there seems to be some remedial works going on at the moment on the Thomas Davis statue. This might include floodlighting which would change the nighttime appearance dramatically. Also restoring the fountain (AT LAST!).
The ill-fated Metropolitan Street Commission in the 1980s proposed pedestrianisation of the whole of College Green. I even remember visuals of what it would look like including fountains.
it wouldn’t seem so, there’s no mention in the planning application/ The proposed hotel is 7 storeys over basement carpark.
Check out plans for the final phase of O’Connell St on the city council’s website or on view in Civic Offices. It will look great. Quite a large number of and variety of kiosks in the plan. However brace yourselves for the protests about those 10 trees.
Also worth looking at is a Study of the City Walls of the city. DCC are launching a strategy to protect and enhance the remaining sections (of which suprisingly there are quite a few sites).
Will the Red Line be ready for 30 August? Unlikely I should think. Most of the stops in the City Centre remain to be completed.
Heuston Plaza will look great when all the works are done. Lots of complementary planting of trees as well and a smart new contemporary look. However I think Abbey St has been a missed opportunity. Its getting a bit by bit paving job but it looks so starka nd plain and drab. Seeing as the Luas is taking so much of the trafffic off the street I would have thought tree planting and a better choice of street furniture would have been in order. A boulevard connecting soon to be revamped Capel St, with O’Connell Street and an improved Beresford Place and Busaras. Seems more like a case of get it done and get out of here.
Greg – I noted you comments on Henry street as well and I agree. I wrote to the Council about it…. will keep you posted when I hear back from the Public Domain Manager. IMO maintaining the street surface should be the least of his tasks.
To be fair to O’Connell St there are teams out every night power washing the pavements. However, this is a private company comtracted in to do this and no doubt handsomely paid for their services. Why can’t the CC’s Cleansing Divison do the job!? And if they can powerwash this street why cant they do the Boardwalk and Liffey Bridges as well! They are a state.
I would imagine the Hawkins House project will be shelved due to the decentralisation of the D of Health. I cant see the OPW spending a fortune on a building when they can sell it and let the private sector do it.
Its interesting that the CC is actively building office space in th city. Is this really a valid role for them to play. Liffey House looks great but it is still tenantless. Surely the CC should be putting their resources into other areas rather than adding to the city’s building stock.
I suppose if its being rezoned as part of the new Development Plan then it is open to comment from all members of the public but will anyone out there be interested enough to disagree with the Council. I am sure the councillors will vote through the rezoning as there are obvious economic considerations here regardless of whether the actual building is crap or not. A conference centre would be a mojor coup for South Dublin. Can an Bord Pleanala continue to refuse planning permission even after the Develoment Plan has been altered? Can the Government step in and over rule the County Council? Highly unlikely with Martin Cullen at the helm, though interestingly John O’Donoghue who is currently responsible for the national conference centre plan (he’ll be bringing proposals to cabinet ‘shortly’, with the next ‘two months’, soon, etc) is often touted to take over Environment in the coming reshuffle.
I think they are all destined for the North City Markets as apart of its redevelopment.
I went on a tour of the HARP project area last year where the development of Smithfield was discussed. The CC are hoping that with the arrival of Luas, this new development and the move by DIT to Grangegorman that the plaza will get the critical mass of pestestrians that it needs to fulfill its potential.
