Overview

The Liberties


Dublin, Ireland

Project type: Regional City & Town Strategy
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Client: Dublin City Council
Stage: Strategic Guidance
Programme: 2007–2009

The Liberties is located to the south of the River Liffey, west of Dublin city centre.

The 136 ha area is rich in cultural and architectural heritage and is home to the Guinness Brewery, the city’s two cathedrals and several national institutions.

However, there are many enclaves of poor quality housing, plus derelict and poorly maintained buildings. The poor standard of new apartment blocks has significantly detracted from the historic streetscapes and led local people to oppose new development.

“
The area is on the cusp of major change. We need to construct strategies for the future, building on the issues that have emerged.
Evelyn Hanlon, Project Manager for the Liberties Regeneration Project

Future improvements to public transport infrastructure are planned to increase connectivity to the area and a number of large sites will soon become available for redevelopment. Dublin City Council’s brief was to prepare a development guidance plan and encourage investment in The Liberties.

Project Delivery

  • Preparation of a plan over a 14-month period through a participatory process with local people and stakeholders, undertaken in collaboration with Metropolitan Workshop.
  • Establishment of the Liberties Regeneration Forum as a direct result of the Community Planning Weekend. The forums met regularly and were accompanied by the distribution of bi-monthly newsletters.
  • Upgrading of the Development Framework Plan into a Local Area Plan (LAP) in response to the community engagement process, giving the document statutory status within Ireland’s planning legislation and becoming only the second LAP to be adopted in Dublin.
  • A multi-layered, collaborative approach to regeneration that addresses social, physical and economic challenges and aims to stimulate investment through strategic interventions and public realm infrastructure improvements.
  • Redevelopment plan for brownfield sites to increase population from 13,500 to approximately 20,000.
  • Proposals for significant new employment and commercial space.
  • A cohesive plan to accommodate change by giving context and clarity to the local community and developers on acceptable planning in regard to height, density, social housing, economic activity and conservation.
Project type: Regional City & Town Strategy
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Client: Dublin City Council
Stage: Strategic Guidance
Programme: 2007–2009
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Project Team
Clare San Martin
Clare San Martin
Consultant
Charles Campion
Charles Campion
Partner
Collaborators
Von Zadow International
Tags
Community Planning, Local Area Plan, Brownfield, Participation, Heritage
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