#NorthInnerCity Greening Strategy 2021

Further to my recent updates on the progress being made with the delivery of the North-East Inner City Greening Strategy, I want to share with you details of projects that will be advanced throughout 2021 by Dublin City Council.

Following my pursuing of the matter with officials in the NEIC Taskforce and with the Parks Department of Dublin City Council, I can confirm that €545,000 has been approved to advance 10 separate greening projects this year. These works include the second phase of the Dorset Street improvement plan, the realignment of the Gloucester Place Lower and Sean McDermott Street junction, central median along Lower Gardiner Street as well as other minor greening interventions and school projects.

The importance of parks, green space, trees being close to nature has been brought to greater prominence during the last twelve months as a result of the pandemic. Quality public space which is greener are so essential to our own individual health and well-being as well as our communities at large. The North-East Inner Greening Strategy is slowly but effectively reducing the amount of sterile concrete grey public spaces with new and improved green infrastructure. As your local Councillor and Chair of the City Council’s Planning & Urban Form Strategic Policy Committee, I am committed to seeing this strategy implemented in full between now and 2026 and the works undertaken to date and planned for this year are clear examples of the commitment made by the current Government and our Fine Gael administration to deliver on the commitments in the response to the Mulvey Report.

If you have any questions or queries about the projects listed for action this year or any other aspect of the North-East Inner Greening Strategy, email me at RayMcAdam@gmail.com.

2021 Greening Strategy Projects:

Dorset Street Phase 2

Proposes to continue the successful treatment of the Dorset Street Phase one project, completed in 2019.  The current central median trees are either dead or failing, creating both poor visual characteristics to the street and the impression of neglect. The proposal will involve the removal of the existing hard surfacing and existing trees and the replacement with a planting scheme of mature trees, herbaceous perennials to provide year-round colourful display of plants, bulbs and linear hedging. The planting area will further reduce the hard surfaces in the area thus enhancing the sustainable urban drainage, biodiversity and environmental health of the area.

Clonmore Road, Ballybough

The proposed project has been highlighted by the community and residents off Clonmore Road following the success of the St Bridget’s Road Greening Interventions.  The works will require a lot of public consultation and survey investigations on the redesign of the streets car parking layout to facilitate tree planting.  The Site works comprise the removal and excavation of the existing surfacing and the creation of top soiled tree pits/planting areas with a kerb upstand.  Large specimen mature trees will create a feature in the middle of the new spaces and will be under planted with a variety of specimen ground cover plants and flowering bulbs.  Total: 12 Tree Pits (approx.)

Oriel Street Upper, Plaza

The open space on Oriel Street Upper provides an ideal location and opportunity for a greening intervention and the establishment of a small pocket park/community space in an area that is lacking in both facilities. The large unused space will be designed to promote both social interactive, visual aesthetics, biodiversity, environmental services and a valuable space for the community and the surrounding residents.

Gardiner Street Lower central median

Gardiner street is one of the busiest thoroughfares in the NEIC area and the city, while also having one of the largest concentrations of residents in the city. The high intensity of its existing uses leaves little space to enhance the local environment and improve environmental services.  Gardiner Street Lower central median, provides an opportunity to introduce green instruction to improve the air quality, promote biodiversity, introduce greening infrastructure (SUDS) and generally improve the local environment and reduce the effect of the dominance of traffic in the area.

Gloucester Place Lwr. /Sean MacDermott Street Junction re-alignment

The proposed re-alignment of the James Joyce Street Junction with Sean Mac Dermott Street follows best practice guidelines, in line with DMURS street design for urban streets. The proposal will see the narrowing of the carriageway and the restoration of the public footpath alignment. The proposal will provide a safer environment for both cyclists and pedestrian and provides opportunities to enhance the environmental services in the area.

Buckingham Street (Feasibility Study/Surveys/design)

Buckingham Street is a very large underused, one-way street that facilitates a huge amount of car parking in a very densely populated area. The proposed study wants to investigate the possibilities of enhancing the public realm by reducing the extent at which the street is traffic focused and look at a more pedestrian focused design and the possibility of a linear style park the length of Buckingham Street.

Busáras Traffic Island

The Proposed Greening intervention provides an opportunity to completely transform the current approach into the NEIC. Proposing to depave approximately 560 sqm of hard surface and the establishment of large planting areas promoting environmental services such as: SuDS, protecting biodiversity, Air filtration, carbon sequestration. While also creating an attractive environment for both visitors and residents alike and further helping to break the dominance of traffic in the North East Inner City. The Proposal will also help to create a more prominent attractive feature of the monument ‘Universal Links on Human Rights’.

Seville Place

Medium scale short term greening intervention pending feasibility study / surveys for larger scale greening.

Minor Works

Allocation for general maintenance and remedial works.

Minor greening interventions and School projects.