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The HARP has experienced much change since the adoption of the Framework Plan in the 1990s. Enormous amounts of EU, state and private funds have been injected into the area creating both physical/environmental and socio-economic/community benefits, yet there exists a downside with major disappointments also.
- The refurbishment of parks and open spaces from Halston St./Green St. Park in 1996 through Ormond Square in 1998 to Wolfe Tone Park (Boyd Cody Architects) in 2001.
- Various Conservation Initiatives rescued places like Coleraine House, Henrietta Street and the Fruit Market from further decline.
- Improvements to the public domain and infrastructure such as the refurbishment of Henry St./Mary St. and the renovation of the Ha'penny Bridge.
- Residential flat complexes such as O'Devaney Gardens and St. Michan's House have been physically improved.
- Flagship projects such as the Liffey Boardwalk and the Millenium Bridge have improved ease of access and levels of pedestrian mobility in the area
- Jobs initiatives such as the HARP Jobs Club and the Inner City Employment Services (ICES) have helped place a considerable number of local people in new jobs in the area.
- Five major retail outlets in the area have agreed to take on 20 local participants for a retail training course.
- Enterprise units have been provided in Oxmantown Lane (light engineering units) and the new phase of housing in Marmion Court.
- A new Community Resource Building, the MACRO Centre, has been specially designed and constructed on North King Street to house a range of local community services.
- Access to training and education has improved a certain amount with the LSB college offering scholarships to locals and a construction skills course being offered by FAS in conjunction with Dublin City Council.
- In order to qualify for tax incentives each development must contribute to 'community gain' in the form of either social housing, a financial contribution (based on 15% of the site value) or a provision of facilities/opportunities within the development itself.
- The 'Living Over The Shop' Scheme although representing an excellent opportunity to free up residential potential existing above retail space in the HARP area cannot be deemed a success to date. Using a system of tax incentives it hoped to humanise and animate streets with a large commercial presence on ground level. Despite a Marketing programme pushing Capel Street as the flagship demonstration project of the scheme, it has failed to make a significant impact, largely due to the daunting logistics involved.
- Many local representatives have complained of a lack of social integration between settled residents and new comers. This problem is most marked in recent private residential developments which are built like fortresses on the pretext of security, providing entry through huge gates rather than street level doors. This leads to lack of activity and animation which in turn increases calls for even tighter security. This added with the introverted nature of such developments, looking inwards over landscaped gardens further alienates longer-settled locals and creates a 'them and us' culture that mitigates against social integration
- In solely physical or architectural terms the rebirth of Smithfield as 'Smithfield Civic Plaza' has been a resounding success. McGarry N’Eanaigh's striking mixture of granite and cobble with the post-industrial declaration of the 26.5 m-high braziers won many awards on completion, doubtless because of the potential it symbolised for this largest civic space in Dublin. But this potential lies dormant and to date in broader urban design terms, it must be deemed a failure. A lack of community consultation combined with commercial greed ensured that open air concerts will not be staged here for the foreseeable future, and there is still no programme of events for summer 2002. Even the monthly horse fair has ceased. This gross under-utilisation of the space has affected the neighbouring 'Smithfield Village' development, designed by A&D Wejchert in 1998, where its cultural anchor project 'Ceol' has closed due to lack of numbers.
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