2.3.5 Strengthening the City as the National Retail Destination

Despite the growth of suburban shopping centres, Dublin city still retains its position as the prime retail destination in the region and the State. The development plan seeks to retain and indeed re-capture market share through a variety of policies and initiatives, all in accordance with the retail strategy for the Greater Dublin Area. With increasing visitor numbers, the city is attracting an increasing share of international shoppers.

The development plan will facilitate healthy competition by providing for a variety of floorplates in the retail core, without compromising the architectural quality or retail heritage of Grafton Street or O’Connell Street, while promoting other streets to ensure vitality. It is proposed to improve linkages between the north and south retail cores by improving facilities for pedestrians through implementation of the city’s Public Realm Strategy. The existing and new Luas lines and further transport proposals will increase connectivity both within the city centre and also to the suburbs, and should be exploited to attract more retail trade.

Providing quality shopping facilities for neighbourhoods across the city is also recognised as essential for sustainable communities, as is the provision of dedicated retail space to serve emerging residential communities in various areas for which LAPS and SDZs have been completed (e.g. Ashtown/Pelletstown and Docklands).