14.1 - Introduction

This chapter sets out the general land-use and zoning policies and objectives of the plan and provides an explanation of the land-use categories and the zoning objectives which apply. The zoning policies and objectives have been derived from the core strategy (see Chapter 2).

The integration of land-use planning with infrastructure delivery is essential to achieving sustainable development. The National Planning Framework (NPF) requires that the zoning of land for development purposes be coordinated with planned infrastructure and services (see also Chapter 9: Sustainable Environmental Infrastructure and Flood Risk). Balancing the requirement to make provision for greater levels of growth and more intense forms of development with the need to safeguard the city’s environment, heritage, infrastructure and communities, is a key objective of the plan.

To facilitate these aims, a comprehensive review of the city’s zoned land has been undertaken and a number of changes have been made to the land-use zoning objectives, zoned areas, and the nature and extent of appropriate uses. This review built on the comprehensive study of the city’s Z6/Z7 zoned lands that was undertaken in accordance with Objective CEEO4 of the 2016 -2022 Development Plan in order to identify lands with the potential to accommodate more intense land-uses within the existing built fabric of the city over the short, medium and long term. Some of the key changes in this development plan are summarised below:

  • The role of Z3 (Neighbourhood Centres) and Z4 (Key Urban Villages/ Urban Villages) lands have been reviewed in the context of recent socio-economic trends and resulting changes in consumer behaviour which have enhanced the importance that such centres play in serving the needs of their local population hubs and in delivering on the vision of Dublin as a 15-minute city. An increased focus on encouraging mixed-use development has also been introduced in Z5 City Centre (see also Chapter 7: The City Centre, Urban Villages and Retail).
  • Development principles applying to Z6 (Employment/Enterprise) and Z7 (Employment (Heavy)) lands have been revised to take account of changes in the planning context since 2016 and the comprehensive review of the low intensity industrial areas of the city. There is an enhanced focus on promoting employment and providing a wide range of local services on the city’s remaining Z6 zoned lands. The ongoing development and consolidation of Z6 and Z7 lands for these purposes will be encouraged.
  • For the Z8 (Georgian Conservation Areas) zone, an increased focus is placed on the need to facilitate regeneration, cultural uses and appropriate residential development while managing the concentration of office uses in these areas (see also Chapter 11: Built Heritage and Archaeology).
  • Z9 (Amenity/Open Space Lands/Green Network) have been reviewed to ensure adequate provision of a range of amenity uses and delivery of ecosystem services.
  • Changes to the Z10 (Inner Suburban and Inner City Sustainable Mixed-Uses) zoning objective include the application of a new requirement that a masterplan be prepared in respect of the development of Z10 lands in certain locations together with those over 0.5ha in size.
  • Z12 (Institutional Land (Future Development Potential)) has been reviewed, resulting in some change to the zoned areas and an increase in the amount of public open space required as part of the development of these lands.
  • Z14 (Strategic Development and Regeneration Areas (SDRAs)) areas have each been reviewed. The majority of the existing SDRAs are carried forward in this Plan. New SDRAs have been designated in areas which have been identified as needing significant regeneration together with a small number of areas that have been identified as needing a strong conservation or archaeological approach to guide their future development (see also Chapter 13: Strategic Development Regeneration Areas).

The strategic importance of the city’s Z15 (Community and Social Infrastructure) landbank (formerly referred to as “institutional lands”) to the future development of Dublin as a 15-minute city has been reviewed and there will be an increased focus on safeguarding the development of these lands for social and community infrastructure.