Case Studies   Urban Regeneration in the City of Dublin: Partnership structures and integrated area planning.

Introduction to the case study

For the purposes of participation in the ENTRUST project, Dublin City Council identified three Dublin neighbourhoods each of which is the subject of an Integrated Area Plan, (hereafter referred to as IAP). The three neighbourhoods are the North-East Inner City, the Liberties-Coombe district, and Kilmainham-Inchicore. In this draft, we will concentrate on the Kilmainham-Inchicore case study but we will also draw on the other two neighbourhoods to provide examples and illustrations.

In terms of spatial location, the three neighbourhoods could be classified as being close to the city centre. This proximity to the city centre is noteworthy given that a key feature of the national Irish spatial pattern has been the diffusion of metropolitan areas into the surrounding countryside. Each of the three participating neighbours has good access to the city centre because of well-developed public transport routes, and major road linkages. So, by the standards prevailing in the greater Dublin area, accessibility to the city centre is better than average, for city dwellers as a whole. However, public transport in Dublin is generally poor, and traffic congestion has become a severe problem in recent years, so that in absolute terms the transport situation in the neighbourhoods is far from ideal, especially for those who do not have a car. The building of the Luas rapid transit system which is due to come on stream in 2004 should, however, bring tangible benefits to the residents of Kilmainham-Inchicore.

None of the neighbourhoods is particularly well integrated into the city centre, or, more precisely, none currently houses the functions associated the central business district. Kilmainham-Inchicore/Liberties-Coombe have been developing a tourism strategy to encourage more visitors into the area by opening up the city’s western axis. This strategy envisions greater footfall in the HARP area along the North side of the river, up to the National Museum (Collins Barracks) and into the south-city neighbourhoods that house the Guinness Storehouse interpretive centre, many fine old buildings and museums.

A tourism strategy

Kilmainham-Inchicore and Liberties-Coombe have commissioned a joint tourism study. This study will formulate the basis of a joint tourism strategy for both areas. The study was completed in the Summer of 2003.The idea of the joint tourism strategy for both areas, is to encourage tourists to continue their explorations beyond the traditional stop at the Guinness Storehouse. The Guinness Storehouse by itself is one of the most successful tourist destinations in Dublin, but once tourists have reached it, they often travel back to the city by bus or by foot. The aim of the strategy is to encourage tourists and locals to visit the more hidden parts of Kilmainham-Inchicore i.e. War Memorial Gardens, Goldenbridge, Inchicore etc.

Liberties-Coombe is one of the most densely populated areas in the city, with problems of high unemployment, low educational levels and areas of dereliction. The Cork Street/Coombe Relief Route has just been completed, but there is still much dereliction along the route. It is hoped, however, that sites along this route are in the process of being sold to private developers, and that these will provide affordable housing and new businesses along the route. This will lead to increased economic development in the area. There are already signs of “gentrification” in Francis Street, which has seen new developments over the last few years. New apartments are being constructed throughout the Liberties-Coombe area, and these are often snapped up quickly by professionals who want to be close to the city centre. These apartments offer good value, as many of them are near the Digital Hub campus, and Quality Bus Corridors (see below).

A new technology strategy

The Digital Hub has been identified in Liberties-Coombe as a strategic node for developing an information technology industry cluster, but this is still in the early stages. The first six companies have commenced their operations in the Digital Hub campus/area. The project is progressing well according to plan, although one cannot predict how the recent downturn in the global technology industries may in the long-run affect its success. The Digital Hub is also co-ordinating with local groups in providing access to jobs. A learning initiative is also taking place, and the local community have access to a computer room in the Digital Hub Project Office.

The main third level institution in the area is the National College of Art and Design on Thomas Street. Two Dublin Institute of Technology campuses are on the fringe of the area, in Kevin Street and Aungier Street. While there is no third-level institution offering courses of a general nature in the Liberties-Coombe, access to the city centre and other areas where there are third-level institutions is relatively easy by public transport.

The North East inner-city faces the most challenges of the three neighbourhoods in the study: traditionally an area of high unemployment, the building of the International Financial Services Centre in the vicinity served to polarise rather than integrate the local community. The establishment of a new campus for the National College of Ireland in the area and the more inclusive development strategy adapted by the Dublin Docklands Development Association, however, hold out some hope for empowering this neighbourhood through educational, jobs and housing initiatives. In addition, each of the three neighbourhoods are undergoing revitalisation under the auspices of the integrated area plans.

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