College Green Dame Street Public Realm Project

Project Update June 2025

Dublin City Council is delighted to publish the Pre-Design Stage (i) Consultation Report for the College Green Dame Street (CGDS) Public Realm Project. This report marks a significant milestone in the early design phase of a transformative initiative to reimagine one of Dublin’s most historic and iconic city centre spaces. The CGDS project aims to create a safer, greener, and more inclusive public realm that celebrates the area’s heritage while enhancing accessibility, sustainability, and vibrancy for all who live in, work in, or visit the city.

Between August 2024 and March 2025, the DCC Project Team and Integrated Design Team led by Scott Tallon Walker Architects and OKRA Landscape Architects undertook a comprehensive engagement process. This included walkabouts with Disabled Persons’ Organisations (DPOs), workshops with local businesses and residents, an online public survey, and internal stakeholder briefings. The insights gathered during this phase have been instrumental in shaping the emerging design vision and will continue to guide the project as it moves into the next stage of development. This report summarises the key themes, concerns, and aspirations shared by stakeholders and outlines how they will inform the next steps in delivering a world-class public space at the heart of Dublin.

The report, including an accessible version, is now available at https://engage.dublincity.ie/en-IE/projects/college-green-dame-street-public-realm-project

Project Update: Pre Design Public Consultation Closed

The pre-design public consultation for the College Green and Dame Street Public Realm project closed on Fri 13th December. 

Since Thursday 14th November, over 2000 submissions were received providing feedback, insights and opinions on how to improve this public space, enhance pedestrian access, and create a more vibrant and sustainable environment in this historically significant part of the city.

The responses from the public and stakeholders are now being reviewed by the Design Team. This valuable input will influence the team over the coming months as they develop the preliminary design for this space. 

The project aims to improve the historic core for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport users, while restoring and enhancing the history of this unique location. With the consultation phase now concluded, all eyes will be on how the final designs evolve based on the feedback received.

Any queries can be directed to [email protected] or by post to College Green - Dame Street Project Team, Block 2, Floor 7, Dublin City Council, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8, Ireland.

Aerial View showing the Project site extent.

Irish Architects, Scott Tallon Walker Architects, in partnership with OKRA, Urban Design and Landscape Architects from the Netherlands will lead a multi-disciplinary team to develop a design for this project.

Dublin City Council in conjunction with the Design Team, will bring the project through the various project stages, including stakeholder engagement, design, planning and construction.

Under these proposals, the area from College Green to the junction with South Great George’s Street will become traffic-free, apart from timed deliveries and limited local access. The project will provide a world-class, multi-functional space, which complements some of Dublin’s most illustrious historical buildings, notably Trinity College and the Bank of Ireland, allowing more space for people to enjoy cultural and recreational events, celebrations and social activities.

The College Green Dame Street Public Realm Project objectives are: 
• To provide a world-class, multi-functional public space, which complements the adjacent historical buildings
• To remove vehicular traffic in an east west direction while facilitating deliveries and limited local access
• To create a high-quality, pedestrian-priority space
• To support the City’s Climate Action Plan by prioritising sustainability and greening in the development of the design
• To provide a safe cycle route
• To support the local economy by enhancing footfall
• To use the principles of universal design to provide an accessible space for all to enjoy

The project will be co-funded by the National Transport Authority.

In the summers of 2019 and 2022, Dublin City Council held a series of trial traffic-free events in College Green including ‘Summer Sundays’, ‘Culture Night’ and ‘Car Free Day’. The knowledge gained from these events has guided the Council in both reviewing the previous proposal and in preparing a revised brief for the project.

Since the original 2018 proposal, the implementation of the Bus Connects Network Redesign project, by the NTA, has commenced which will resolve key transportation concerns in this area and open up new opportunities. 
This project provides an opportunity to create a safe, inclusive, accessible, public space for people of all ages to meet, relax and enjoy, and to achieve a greener and more liveable city.

Contact: [email protected]