4.4 - The Strategic Approach

The vision for the urban form and structure of the city is to achieve a high quality, sustainable urban environment, which is attractive to residents, workers and visitors. The key strategic approaches to achieving this vision underpinning the development plan are:

• In accordance with the objectives of the National Planning Framework (NPF), The Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) for the Eastern and Midland Region including the Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan (MASP) set out therein, the creation of a more compact city where development is closely aligned and integrated with existing and proposed public transport infrastructure and where residents can live close to their places of work or study and easily move around the city, thereby, reducing urban sprawl and unsustainable travel patterns and ensuring maximum benefit from investment in public transport infrastructure.
• The creation of a consolidated city, whereby infill and brownfield sites are sustainably developed, regenerated and new urban environments are created, and where underutilised sites and buildings are actively repurposed and intensified. This will be facilitated by promoting active land management, including initiatives such the Vacant Site Levy, and any successor scheme, and the Living City Initiative.
• The promotion of development that incorporates appropriate climate adaption and mitigation measures and that will bring about meaningful climate change, including measures to ensure climate resilience and the transition to a low carbon economy.
• The creation and nurturing of sustainable neighbourhoods and healthy communities in line with the principle of the 15 minute city, which are designed to facilitate walking and cycling close to public transport (insofar as possible) and include a range of community infrastructure, all in quality, more intensive mixed-use environments.
• The promotion of development that enhances and nurtures our natural heritage assets, which improves biodiversity and which develops a green infrastructure network for recreation and amenity.
• To promote the development of a well-designed and defined network of streets and quality urban spaces, together with the achievement of a good mix of uses to encourage vitality, in well-designed and appropriately scaled buildings, which are appropriate to their context and which foster good placemaking.
• To ensure that the city’s civic importance as the State’s capital is reinforced and augmented through appropriate public realm and healthy placemaking interventions[1].
• To support and maintain a strong economy in the city and provide a critical mass of development to support investment, innovation and the smart economy.
• To encourage development that enhances, integrates and respects the city’s heritage and cultural assets and that is sensitive to the setting and context of buildings and features of conservation and archaeological merit.
• To continue to extend the form and structure of the city for the benefit of communities in the new developing areas such as Belmayne-Clongriffin, Ballymun and Cherry Orchard-Park West, including connectivity to these developing areas, and in doing so, embrace the potential for quality urban design and placemaking.

To support the creation of sustainable communities with adequate access to a range of sports and recreational amenities, educational facilities and retail services, and that new residential development is delivered in tandem with commensurate social and community infrastructure.

[1] ‘Healthy placemaking’ is a key principle of the RSES with the objective of promoting people’s quality of life through the creation of healthy and attractive places to live, work, visit and study in.