South William Street, laid out in 1676 by William Williams, was part of the expansion of Dublin in the 17th century as the city outgrew its medieval walls. It came into its own in the 18th century and, despite some unfortunate 20th century interventions, what we see today is largely a legacy from that era. The street has one of the largest and most complete groups of 18th century merchants' houses in Dublin.

Over 50 per cent are listed and were recently upgraded from list 2 to list 1 in the 1999 City Plan. An inventory carried out by the Dublin Civic Trust two years earlier identified an astonishing number of interesting interiors, with fine plasterwork, staircases, and joinery.

These provide a foil and context for the two landmark buildings, Powerscourt House, the town residence of the Powerscourt family from Co Wicklow, and the Civic Museum, formerly the City Assembly House.

"Inventorising" is a means of discovering what lies behind a closed door. Research and studies by the Trust are ongoing and provide a source of information for the public, planners and developers.

Dublin is a city rich in architecture, especially interiors, which remain undiscovered. The present rate of development places enormous pressure on secondary streets. This often leads to unnecessary demolition and facade retention as well as the inappropriate alteration of interiors which represent the historical or cultural value of a period.

In the past, a lack of finance meant that many historic buildings and streets were neglected and poorly maintained. The current economic boom provides the money, but unfortunately, not always the will, to carry out work of the requisite quality.

The challenge facing the street is that houses built as single residences must now accommodate a mix of uses. Careful planning is necessary when redesigning to take into account original layout and features, such as plasterwork and joinery. It is noticeable on the street that some new owners are customising them for specific use.

Due to the commercial nature of South William Street, the design of the shopfronts and their accompanying signage determines both its character and appearance. The current mismatch of styles, colours and materials does little to enhance the existing buildings. There is a need for a co-ordinated enhancement scheme to improve the design of shopfronts. Retailers should be encouraged to make use of the various design guides available from Dublin Corporation and the Department of the Environment.

The reintroduction of a more visible resident population should be actively encouraged. This will provide a new use for many redundant upper floors and generate activity after shopping hours. The Landmark Trust and Civic Trust in South Frederick Street and Aungier Street have shown how successful the conversion to office use, with owners living above their place of work, can be.

Another solution, would be the designation of South William Street as a Business Improvement District (BID). This is a US concept which can raise a special tax to provide supplementary services within an area. The local government collects the levy and redistributes it back to the BID, where it can be used for a variety of different projects. The key to all successful regeneration schemes is an active partnership between the public and private sector.

Dublin Corporation has its role to play, in the case of the new National Conservation Grants Scheme for the conservation of protected buildings as set out in list 1-3. In the recent much publicised case of the demolition of Archer's Garage, a list 1 building, the Corporation has taken a much harder line. For this they are to be congratulated. However, we must not rest on our laurels. For every contentious demolition, there are hundreds of cases of buildings poorly altered without planning permission.

The book sets out guidelines for the successful adaptation of the street, to meet the needs of the present day without damaging its architectural integrity. The buildings must not be seen as a constraint to change and development but as a challenge to architects and planners. The Civic Trust is happy to carry out historical research for owners of historic buildings and have just been commissioned by the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre to carry out a historical and architectural appraisal of the building.

It is intended that this book will be the first in a series of publications by Dublin Civic Trust aimed at promoting a greater public awareness of our built heritage.

South William Street - A Study of the Past, A Vision for the Future by Julie Craig, published by Dublin Civic Trust, price £4.99, is available in bookshops, and from the Trust at 4 Castle Street, Dublin 2. Tel 4756911.

Julie Craig works on urban conservation with the Dublin Civic Trust