Restoration of Dublin to its Georgian glory urged by report

CONSTRUCTION OF subterranean traffic routes, removal of trees from College Green, and a prohibition on the use of overhead wires on the new cross-town Luas line are among ambitious proposals for the restoration of Dublin’s historic core in a report to be published tomorrow.

The report, by the Dublin Civic Trust and commissioned by the Dublin City Business Association (DCBA), contains a large number of recommendations which would radically change the appearance of Dublin city centre.

It focuses on the reinstatement of historic Georgian “set pieces”such as the Rotunda Gardens at Parnell Square, and the civic piazza at College Green, as well as the refurbishment of boulevards including Westmoreland Street, Marlborough Street and Grafton Street.

Detailed plans are recommended for these areas which would necessitate removal of most traffic; an increase in pedestrianisation; a ban on bus parking; restoration of derelict buildings and sites; creation of new plazas; reinstatement of granite paving; removal of unnecessary signage, bollards and other “street clutter”; and, in some cases, a complete redesign.

The plans are not costed but the report says their realisation is essential to attract national and international investment to Dublin, retain shoppers and meet the expectations of tourists and citizens.

College Green is the focus for some of the more radical proposals. The area in front of Trinity College and the Bank of Ireland, originally built in 1729 to house parliament, was now “unrecognisable” from the grand civic space it was intended to be, with inappropriately sited and overgrown trees, poor-quality paving and crude engineering works carried out as part of the “bus gate” project, the report said.

The location of trees and public toilets in front of James Gandon’s portico and entrance front to the former House of Lords were particularly unsightly, it said.

The report seeks the pedestrianisation of the majority of the space, the removal of all trees and municipal furniture, the construction of a high-quality paved civic piazza, and the prohibition of overhead power lines proposed as part of the Luas BDX line to connect the north and south of the city.

The prohibition of overhead Luas wires should be extended to O’Connell Bridge, O’Connell Street and the primary streets in the historic core through which the line would pass, it says.

The pedestrianisation of College Green and other important civic areas could be facilitated through the use of underground traffic routes in the city centre – these would reduce congestion but maintain accessibility.

There are similarly ambitious plans for the site of the current Rotunda Hospital at Parnell Square. The original hospital building from the 1750s had become almost entirely lost in a “sea of tarmacadam”, and 20th-century additions had covered much of its gardens, according to the report. The plan seeks the reinstatement of the Rotunda Gardens, which would involve large-scale demolition.

Westmoreland Street is described as “the most prominent and visible stretch of blighted streetscape in the historic city centre”. It has descended into low-grade usages and closed-up shop fronts. It would benefit from pavement widening, an enforcement of the council’s rules on shop-front design and a removal of bus parking. Bus parking had “all but destroyed” the southern end of Marlborough Street, eliminating any other activity. At the northern end, there was scope for a civic plaza in front of the Pro-Cathedral, incorporating grounds of the Department of Education and Science.

The report also envisages the redesign of O’Connell Bridge, a management plan to stop the city becoming “overwhelmed” by taxis, and refurbishment of Grafton Street.

Dublin's historic core: civic trust's recommendations

• Increase in the number of pedestrian areas and the creation of civic plazas at Christchurch, the Pro-Cathedral, College Green, Parnell Square and O'Connell Bridge.
• The widening of pavements and the restoration of historic granite flagstones and kerbing, instead of ugly and discordant repairs using tarmac and poured concrete.
• Prohibition on the use of overhead power lines associated with the proposed Luas cross-city line, at College Green, O'Connell Bridge and the historic streets from St Stephen's Green to O'Connell Street.
• The enforcement by the council of their shopfront design guidelines which aim to eliminate inappropriate signage and ensure shopfronts are in line with the character of their streets.
• The removal of trees where their location is inappropriate, such as College Green, tree-planting schemes in areas such as O'Connell Bridge, and a reduction in the number of trees in Merrion Square.
• A refurbishment of the Georgian squares and a reinstatement of their residential use. Development levies for redevelopment of listed buildings could be waived to encourage the restoration of Georgian town houses, particularly in the squares.
• An end to the practice of "laying over" or parking out of service buses on many streets, including the quays, Mountjoy Square, Marlborough Street and Westmoreland Street.
• The construction of underground traffic routes which would allow the pedestrianisation of areas such as College Green while still providing access for motorists to the city centre.