Dublin City Council hosts celebratory event for launch of ‘Grow College Green’ - a flagship project to transform the historic heart of Dublin

Dublin, 21st September 2025 – Dublin City Council is today hosting a free family-friendly fun day at College Green and Dame Street to mark the official launch of ‘Grow College Green’ - a transformational project that will revitalise the historic heart of Dublin. 

Delivered in partnership with National Transport Authority (NTA), this landmark initiative will reimagine College Green – long celebrated as one of Dublin’s most iconic civic spaces – as a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable destination. ‘Grow College Green’ envisions a space that is not only a place to shop, work, gather and celebrate, but also a space to pause, breathe and connect. As the project progresses, the ‘Grow College Green’ brand will feature across communications and signage throughout the project area. 

Today’s family-friendly event coincides with European Mobility Week’s Car Free Day, with the area from Trinity College Dublin to South Great George’s Street closed to traffic and reimagined as a pedestrian friendly space. 

Visitors to the space will have the opportunity to enjoy a lively programme of activities showcasing the possibilities of the space and the Project’s vision, including themed zones (Breathe, Connect, Imagine, Evolve), a sensory quiet zone, yoga masterclasses, live music, community drum workshops, sustainability activities, heritage storytelling, arts and crafts and children’s entertainment. Event attendees are also able to contribute to a time capsule and seed library, which will be incorporated into the final design of the space. 

Speaking at today’s event, Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Ray McAdam, said: "College Green has always been at the centre of our city’s historic, social, cultural and civic life. Through ‘Grow College Green’, we want to create a space that is welcoming to everyone – families, students, workers, visitors and local communities. The project is more than just redesigning a space, it's about creating an environment which reflects Dublin’s identity, values and ambition for the future. Today’s event allows the public to experience the potential of the project, and I am delighted to celebrate this new chapter in our city’s rich history.”

'Grow College Green’ is significantly broader in scope, scale and ambition than the initial project brought to planning stage by Dublin City Council in 2017.  It also has the benefit of driving significant and impactful changes for the area as we work towards meeting the targets set out in the Climate Action Plan, as well as capitalising on the opportunities for the space that will be realised by the NTA’s bus network redesign, which will remove all buses from College Green on a phased basis. 

Richard Shakespeare, Chief Executive of Dublin City Council, said: “’Grow College Green’ is a once in a generation opportunity for Dublin. This project will deliver a world-class, pedestrian-priority public space at the historic heart of the city. This initiative addresses long-standing challenges such as traffic congestion, fragmented pedestrian movement, and limited public space, while creating a more sustainable, accessible, and vibrant urban environment. Today’s public event offers Dubliners a first glimpse of the project’s potential, from quiet zones and cultural experiences to sustainability initiatives. As the project develops, we remain committed to extensive public consultation, ensuring the space meets the needs of all who live, work and visit Dublin.”

Interim CEO of the National Transport Authority, Hugh Creegan said: “The ‘Grow College Green’ project represents a major step forward in creating a more sustainable, accessible, and people-focused city centre. By reallocating available space in this way, College Green has the potential to become a more enjoyable environment for all, with pedestrians at the heart of it. We look forward to continuing to work with Dublin City Council on delivering this ambitious project for one of Dublin’s most recognisable destinations.”

Vice President for Biodiversity and Climate Action at Trinity College Dublin, Prof. Jane Stout said: “As a key city centre stakeholder, Trinity College Dublin strongly supports the Grow College Green project and believes it would be transformative for the city. Trinity’s campus sits at the heart of College Green and with over 20k students and 3.5k staff on site daily, and over 1million visitors annually, we’re the biggest trip attraction in the city centre. So, reimagining this public space on our doorstep is vital to how our campus functions and is critically important to us.

The vision set out for a liveable, vibrant, connected, accessible, healthy, and climate-resilient city fully aligns with Trinity’s own strategic objectives. We are excited to see this plan progressing, and we look forward to continuing to work with the Grow College Green team and all other city stakeholders to realise that collective vision in the near future. It can’t happen soon enough!”

Welcoming the project Brian Moran, Senior MD with Hines Ireland said: “’Grow College Green’ ties in with Hines' wider vision for the Central Plaza complex, which has already brought new life and a thriving new modern office district right back to the heart of the city on the site of the former Central Bank. We support the aspiration of both Dublin City Council and the National Transport Authority in seeking to generate a new civic space for Dubliners and one which will enhance the city centre experience for all.”  

The project is being delivered by a multi-disciplinary team of architects, engineers, planners, and specialists, led by Dublin City Council in partnership with the National Transport Authority. Emerging plans were unveiled in June, with extensive consultation carried out subsequently. The feedback from this consultation is being used to inform the preliminary design. As the project moves forward, further consultation will be undertaken.  

Through ‘Grow College Green’ Dublin City Council is inviting everyone to help shape and take pride in this new chapter for College Green, ensuring it becomes a place where all Dubliners and visitors can make memories for generations to come. 

To stay up to date and engage in the project go to https://www.dublincity.ie/grow-college-green. 

ENDS