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Phibsboro / Mountjoy LAP

In October 2006, Dublin City Council commissioned a multi-disciplinary team led by Paul Keogh Architects and John Spain Associates to prepare an urban framework plan for the Phibsborough /Mountjoy area. Following detailed discussions with local community groups and key stakeholders it was decided, in early 2007, to extend the scope of the urban framework plan into a statutory local area plan.

The City Council’s brief for the framework - and subsequently the LAP - is focussed on a clear over-arching objective: - to plan and direct the future development of this area as a quality urban neighbourhood with an identified focus for established and emerging communities, and incorporating sustainable densities underpinned by quality public transport, facilities and services.

Within the Phibsborough/ Mountjoy area there are a number of significant sites which are likely to come forward for redevelopment in the near future.The Government has decided to close Mountjoy Prison, and it is proposed to locate the National Paediatric Hospital on the site of the Mater Hospital. In addition, Bohemians Football Club has plans to relocate from Dalymount Park, and both the former Shandon bakery site at Cross Guns Bridge and the Smurfit printworks on Botanic Road are redundant. The development of these sites - and the arrival of Metro North and Luas Line D as part of Transport 21 - presents Phibsborough with a unique opportunity to achieve significant social, economic and physical improvement in the years ahead.

The separate redevelopment of the contiguous Grangegorman campus will impact on Phibsborough/ Mountjoy and the integration of the two plans is critical. The LAP sets out strategies to achieve the success of both. When adopted, the local area plan will remain in force for a period of six years; it will form the basis on which planning decisions for future development proposals within the area are made - both by Dublin City Council and An Bord Pleanala - during the life of the plan.

The LAP is a special opportunity to unlock the potential of Phibsborough/ Mountjoy as a quality urban neighbourhood; to facilitate positive social, economic and environmental change; to support the provision of quality services, amenities and infrastructure; and to provide a focus for established and emerging communities in the area. This document sets out the plan in draft for public consultation with all relevant parties; elected members, stakeholders, institutions, prescribed bodies, interested parties and - most importantly - residents of the area. Observations submitted in relation to this draft must be taken on board by the planning authority before the plan can be adopted by the City Council.

A Sustainable Urban Village

The Phibsborough/ Mountjoy LAP seeks to set out a framework for the creation of a vibrant and sustainable 'Urban Village' that will contribute to social and economic development, and provide people in the area with the services, jobs and opportunities required for a high quality urban lifestyle.

The City Council’s vision sees Dublin developing as a compact city,with a network of sustainable mixed use neighbourhoods providing the range of facilities and services required for them to function as economically and culturally dynamic - and socially inclusive urban communities.

Key planning criteria for sustainable Urban Villages have been clearly set out in publications by authorities such as The UK Urban Task Force, the World Health Organisation,The Congress of the New Urbanism,The Urban Villages Group, The European Union, The National Economic and Social Council and - not least - The National Spatial Strategy.

Ireland’s overriding planning policy document - the National Spatial Strategy - has advocated the integrated urban neighbourhood as the alternative to suburban sprawl. According to the NSS, the principal advantage of the urban neighbourhood concept - or Urban Village - is that it can deliver efficient use of land, provision of services and quality public transport effectively and economically.

The unanimous conclusion of these reports is that, to be sustainable, an urban neighbourhood should be mixed-use, combining work, living and essential services; it must be big enough to support a range of services and amenities, and small enough to foster a sense of belonging and community; it should be sufficiently dense to enable all of its essential facilities to be within walking distance of the centre. The neighbourhood should be well designed with attractive pedestrian-oriented open spaces; it should be planned around public transport,with less driving for everyday needs; it should be diverse and adaptable to future demands; it should consolidate the structure and form of the urban area.

The Phibsborough/ Mountjoy LAP's overarching objective is to deliver a vision for the regeneration of Phibsborough/ Mountjoy as a place where people want to live and work, now and in the future; a neighbourhood which meets the diverse needs of existing and future residents; is sensitive to its environment; contributes to a high quality of life; is well designed,well planned,well built and well managed; is safe and inclusive, and offers equality of opportunity and good services for all.

The objective of this Local Area Plan (LAP) is to guide the development of Phibsborough/ Mountjoy as a sustainable integrated urban neighbourhood comprising of:

0. A variety of intensity, uses and tenures, and complimentary patterns of activity.
0. An urban structure providing a hierarchy of integrated and well connected pattern of streets and open spaces.
0. A legible and easily understood pattern of physical, visual and functional connections within the area and its hinterland.
0. A safe, visually attractive, socially vibrant and architecturally stimulating public realm with a permeable and well defined hierarchy of public and private open spaces
0. An optimisation of land use potential,with a sustainable density of development.
0. Built form, mass and height which respond to the historic, physical and social context of the receiving environment.
0. A fine grain pattern of built form and open space and satisfactory ratios of building height to open space.
0. Built form and building heights which achieve good levels of daylight, shelter, natural ventilation and passive solar gain.
0. Buildings and open spaces which are responsive to context, and which are architecturally distinguished, durable, functional in use and aesthetically pleasing.
0. Buildings and open spaces which are environmentally responsive in their design, construction and in their use of energy saving technologies.
0. Landscaped open spaces which are healthy, safe, well designed and biologically diverse.
0. Respect for historic context; and conservation and sustainable re-use of protected structures and buildings in conservation areas.
0. Built form which promotes variety of activity and use and adaptability over time to changing economic and social circumstances.
0. Built form and building heights which provide streets and open spaces which are functional in use, spatially attractive and contribute to the urban character.
0. An economically sustainable and socially active range of social, commercial, cultural and community infrastructure facilities.
0. A high quality movement network for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles, with priority for public transport.

Posted by Reflecting City Team on Tuesday, September 16, 2008
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