MORE than any other street in the country, O'Connell Street in Dublin holds a special place in the hearts of Irish people, he they from Ballyshannon, Skibbereen, Drumcondra or Foxrock.

Visitors to the capital, either for All Ireland finals or international football matches or Christmas shopping, know it better than any other street. Its decline is of widespread concern and the current worries about the street are not new.

For decades, since it lost its major shopping and entertainment role, the street has been declining. The initial bombing and later removal of the Pillar in 1966 marked the modern decline of the street. Without its traditional visual symbol, the street waned.

In the 1980s there was widespread concern, not only over the appearance of O'Connell Street, but in respect of the entire historic centre. There were acres of unused land; streets of semiderelict and empty buildings; an obsession with solving traffic problems without looking at the whole picture. Dublin then was indeed a "city in crisis", the title of a landmark conference held in that period.

The central spine of the city from Graft on Street to Parnell Square, which should have been the city's pride and joy, had an air of neglect.

In 1986 John Boland, then environment minister, established the Metropolitan Streets Commission to prepare a comprehensive plan for the improvement of the main streets in the capital, from Grafton Street to Parnell Square.

The commission had wide powers on issues such as traffic and parking, civic design and aesthetics, land use planning, street management and litter control. The commission was met with great general enthusiasm from political parties, public organisations and in particular the public.

It was intended that an Act would be passed swiftly with all party agreement, but the political vagaries of the time prevented this, and it was not until January 1987 that it was passed and the Metropolitan Street Commission was formally established. The February 1987 election brought a change of government. One of the first acts of the new Haughey government was to disband the street commission after it was only a few weeks in existence. The possible rebirth of O'Connell Street withered.

The work of preparing the commission had been going on through the summer and autumn of 1986 and so the commission was in a position to publish policy guidelines for the future development of the central area.

Some commission proposals have been implemented by Dublin Corporation. The Grafton Street area is largely pedestrianised, which has contributed measurably to its economic success. A modified central mall has been provided in O'Connell Street. But all the special European funding has been concentrated in the Temple Bar area and there have been no special tax incentives or grants for O'Connell Street or any of Dublin's major streets.

Ten years on things seem remarkably similar. O'Connell Street is declining and widespread public concern on its future remains. It presents a paradox - a fine spacious street, full of activity, graced by elegant buildings, but still in the perception of the public a street with many problems, and a dangerous place, especially at night.

Now a new government has taken over. There is an opportunity for the Ahern Government to implement policies to regenerate O'Connell Street with special powers and funding.

The 1986 Act is still in place and, if desired, could provide a basis for a new approach. The policies formulated by the streets commission are still largely relevant.

The millennium is approaching, and Dublin, like other European capitals, should be considering significant projects to mark it. What better than regenerating O'Connell Street? Luas also affords an opportunity for comprehensive public area improvements in the streets through which it passes.

ANY plans for its improvement might include the following:

. A detailed design for the street's improvement. This would include individual buildings, public spaces, street furniture and paving, planting, public art works etc.

. O'Connell Street should become a place to attract and retain visitors; safe and pedestrian friendly rather than the busy dual carriageway it is. The pavements and central mall should be widened significantly. The mall could eventually be part of an overall pedestrian route through the city.

. The area at the junction of Henry Street and Talbot Street should be extensively paved and in best quality stone, as befits a capital city.

. A new "Pillar" with a strong vertical emphasis would reinstate the traditional link between the other important visual elements in the street - the Parnell monument and O'Connell monument - and would again act as a focal point for Dubliners and visitors.

. The Smurfit fountain should be relocated. From a civic aspect, its strong horizontal lines do not contrast well with the general horizontal nature of the street, nor with the vertical emphasis of the other street monuments.

. Land uses should be controlled and further unacceptable uses discouraged. To control land uses within a city centre represents a challenge. The Metropolitan Street Act did contain provisions to control the uses of buildings and lands.

The concentration of certain types of uses can affect the character of any area, e.g. the pubs in Temple Bar, the fast food outlets and discount stores in O'Connell Street. Curtailing such uses, with financial incentives for approved land uses and development, would shift the balance in favour of a more acceptable mix of uses.

. A comprehensive management team of Dublin Corporation,the Garda, business interests, the Government and others should be established to ensure that the street is effectively policed and managed at all times and to deal with such matters as litter control and presentation and servicing of buildings.

. This team would also encourage and control appropriate street entertainments and the like to build public confidence in the street.

. Upper floors should be used more intensively. Many of the buildings have tremendous potential for being converted into highly desirable living spaces.

. The proposed National Convention Centre, if located in O'Connell Street, would provide a tremendous impetus for the street and the whole north inner city.

. The comprehensive regeneration and improvement of Parnell Square should proceed in tandem with O'Connell Street.