THE DUBLIN DOCKLANDS DEVELOPMENT MASTER PLAN 1997

The essential challenge of the Master Plan, as stated in the Plan itself, is to guide the durable social, economic and physical development of the area and to capture the vision of a beautiful and sustainable environment. This general challenge includes:

Socio-economic objectives:
Following intensive consultation, and having been informed by submissions received from a wide range of community groups and individuals, the Authority identified key socio-economic objectives for the Plan. A high level of community participation was considered necessary for the implementation of the Plan, so a Community Liaison Committee was established to maximise involvement.

The Authority also wanted to promote the development of new housing that responds to the diverse needs of the community, including housing for single parents or housing for the disabled. This is reflected in the requirement that all new residential developments within the Area must reserve 20% of all units for social/affordable housing.

The Authority wished to have a major educational institution within the Area to provide further balance to the mix of uses. This it has done with the National College of Ireland Campus currently under construction and set to open in September 2002. The site was provided free by the Authority on the proviso that a percentage of places in the college are reserved for members of the local community.

The International Financial Services Centre
The development of the IFSC has made an outstanding contribution to the economic development of both Dublin and the country. Since 1987 it has become the largest anchor project in the city and the biggest employer in the Docklands. The contribution in tax revenue of the myriad companies trading there has been substantial.

The IFSC, incorporating the IFSC 2 extension - is currently nearing completion. It now stretches over 39 acres with almost 2 million sq ft of office space, in excess of 1,000 apartments, 2 hotels, pubs, restaurants, shops and a provision for a third level Docklands campus. The area will be fully complete in 2002 with between 12,000 - 15,000 people working in the area. The Authority continues to promote the area as a world class business quarter and is constantly seeking to accommodate new corporate tenants.

Land Use
The Authority wishes to guide renewal in a particular manner, pursuing a policy of mixed-use development to 'achieve a sustainable environment integrating living, working and leisure'.

In regards to residential use the Authority envisages a target population of up to 25,000 people by 2012, spreading this over all parts of the area rather than large pockets of residential use. It has allocated a minimum average ratio of 20% of all new units for social and affordable housing and liases with Dublin City Council to provide for those on housing lists. The Authority hopes to encourage people to raise families in the Area and also seeks to promote architecture that does not articulate social difference.

Transportation & Infrastructure
The Master Plan sets out public transportation and infrastructure proposals that are consistent with the Dublin Transport Initiative. It assumes that the Dublin Port Tunnel will be completed and that the area will be eventually served by a light-rail public transport system - LUAS.

The DDDA's transport framework seeks to reduce the penetration of the Area by private cars by providing an integrated transport system in which transportation modes are inter-linked by pedestrian connections. It seeks to provide a dedicated and safe network of routes for both cyclists and pedestrians and promotes an over-all programme of traffic -calming.

Civic Design Framework
A crucial aspect of the Plan is the interaction of the buildings within the Area with each other and with the spaces between them. How this interaction is spatially articulated is crucial to the form and character of the Area and can encourage use, so that streets and urban spaces are enlivened and inviting. The Plan encourages urban designers to recognise the importance of both space and context in their designs and to respond to the diversity of the environment in the Area. Every effort should be made to ensure that spaces and streets link together in an interesting manner to exploit vistas, landmarks and the water bodies of the Area. Architecture should be proportionate and coherently expressed and patterns of existing pedestrian movement should be reinforced.

There is a legacy of varied architectural treasure in the Area, from cut-stone quays through interesting bridges to the cast-iron roofed structure of Stack A. The Plan provides for the conservation of these as well as the original orthogonal road layout and the open aspect of the quays.

Open space, in its varied forms is prioritised in the Plan. It seeks to create new space and to exploit existing parks, water and coastline to create a city quarter of character. This will include an ECO park on the Poolbeg peninsula, a linear park along the Royal Canal, the opening up of the Grand Canal Dock for public amenity and the Campshire development along the length of the Liffey.

Employment, Education & Training
Specific emphasis is made on creating new sustainable jobs within the Area, with an upper target of approximately 30,000 by the end of the Plan period. By 1997 8% of the Docklands workforce was resident in the Area but training policies combined with local initiatives will seek to double this figure. The Authority will identify, with the aid of the local community, job opportunites and will promote community employment projects that are tailored to the existing skill-base of the Area and that will create sustainable employment.

The Plan recognises that a successful regeneration programme needs proper education and training facilities to cater for the needs of all target groups within the community including under-achievers, potential third-level students, long-term unemployed and those who wish to return to education amongst others. The Plan supports all initiatives designed to reduce educational disadvantage in the Area.

Implementation
The proposals of the Plan are implemented under what are known as Section 25 Planning Schemes. The provisions contained in Section 25 of the Dublin Docklands Authority Act 1997 enable the Authority to prepare Planning Schemes for the Custom House Docks Area or any other area within the Dublin Docklands Area specified for that purpose by order of the Minister for the Environment & Local Government. Such Planning Schemes offer a fast-track route through the planning process, cutting down significantly on the considerable lead time usually experienced.

These Schemes indicate the manner in which the Authority considers the Area should be redeveloped and sets out policy in relation to land use, distribution and location, overall design, transportation, the development of amenities, and conservation. Planning Schemes have been created for the Extended Custom House Docks Area (now referred to as the North Lotts) and also for the Grand Canal Docks.

Aside from the Planning Schemes the Authority also prepares Action Area Plans for smaller areas such as the Campshires and the 'Village Centres' of Ringsend/Irishtown and East Wall. These plans outline specific improvements to be made to the area including upgrading of street furniture, paving, lighting and the introduction of new landscaping.