Urban design deals with the design of the form of the city and the making of urban places. It covers a range of scales, from the design of an individual street or development, through neighbourhood and district scale, up to strategic issues such as the management of the skyline.
It is not only concerned with issues of visual design, but must deal with underlying issues of how places work such as their accessibility, inclusiveness, nature, heritage and character, crime prevention and sustainable movement. The aim of urban design is to create places with character where people choose to live, invest, work or visit.

As the principal adviser on urban design within Dublin City Council, City Architect’s Division carries out the
following activities:

• Designing and commissioning public realm projects, such as the redesign of O’Connell Street,
  the Liffey Boardwalk and Portobello Square.
• Regeneration masterplan design, including the regeneration of the St. Michael’s Estate,
  Dominick Street and O’Devaney Gardens.
• Urban design input to strategic planning proposals such as the Development Plan Review
  and Local Area Plan proposals
• Consultation on urban design for significant planning applications and for strategic projects
  as Metro-North, LUAS and other transport infrastructure.