SEVENTY-FIVE per cent of people who participated in an online poll conducted by the Irish Architecture Foundation said they would live in Dublin’s inner city, but many said it was not suitable for families.
The poll, held to coincide with the publication of Re-Drawing Dublinby Paul Kearns and Motti Ruimy, drew a varied response in the associated blog, with contributors calling for bigger apartments, more playgrounds and other recreational facilities.
Unlike most European capitals, “city living for families seems to be possible mainly for the very wealthy, or ‘indigenous’ citizens who’ve been making do with often poor conditions for multiple generations”, one person wrote. “Better playgrounds, less crime and urban decay in the city centre, improved transport . . . the wish list is long! However, projects like the Dublin Bikes Scheme and the vibrancy of city centre life despite the recession offer a glimmer of optimism.”
Another wrote: “Lived there for 10 happy years, had our first child and moved out 10 months later to the suburbs. The area was great for my wife and I, but way too many junkies and too much traffic around to allow kids out to play without constant supervision.”
The “final straw” for another contributor “came when my eight-year-old nephew visited and we couldn’t find anywhere for him to safely kick a football. Consequently I moved out of the inner city to a coastal suburb: my house is small, but the sea is nearby.”
But another stayed, saying his children – now aged between 15 and 20 – “have had a rich, varied and stimulating upbringing and I feel very sorry for those who have had, due to necessity, to move far away from friends and family.”
Another contributor lived in the city centre for 10 years and loved city life, but moved out shortly after his daughter was born. “The main reasons were lack of access to parks and playgrounds, dirty streets, crime and lack of private open space,” he wrote.