Further progress is being made in delivering projects as part of the North-East Inner City Greening Strategy, including improvements to Sean McDermott Street and in Summerhill to name but two. Recently, the Programme Implementation Board, chaired by Michael Stone approved funding of €545,000 to advance 12 projects as part of the 2021 Greening Strategy.
The following projects will be delivered this year, including:
Proposes to continue the successful treatment of the Dorset Street Phase one project, completed in 2019. The current central median trees are either dead or failing, creating both poor visual characteristics to the street and the impression of neglect. The proposal will involve the removal of the existing hard surfacing and existing trees and the replacement with a planting scheme of mature trees, herbaceous perennials to provide year-round colourful display of plants, bulbs and linear hedging. The planting area will further reduce the hard surfaces in the area thus enhancing the sustainable urban drainage, biodiversity and environmental health of the area.
The proposed project has been highlighted by the community and residents off Clonmore Road following the success of the St Bridget’s Road Greening Interventions. The works will require a lot of public consultation and survey investigations on the redesign of the streets car parking layout to facilitate tree planting. The Site works comprise the removal and excavation of the existing surfacing and the creation of top soiled tree pits/planting areas with a kerb upstand. Large specimen mature trees will create a feature in the middle of the new spaces and will be under planted with a variety of specimen ground cover plants and flowering bulbs. Total: 12 Tree Pits (approx.)
The open space on Oriel Street Upper provides an ideal location and opportunity for a greening intervention and the establishment of a small pocket park/community space in an area that is lacking in both facilities. The large unused space will be designed to promote both social interactive, visual aesthetics, biodiversity, environmental services and a valuable space for the community and the surrounding residents.
Gardiner street is one of the busiest thoroughfares in the NEIC area and the city, while also having one of the largest concentrations of residents in the city. The high intensity of its existing uses leaves little space to enhance the local environment and improve environmental services. Gardiner Street Lower central median, provides an opportunity to introduce green instruction to improve the air quality, promote biodiversity, introduce greening infrastructure (SUDS) and generally improve the local environment and reduce the effect of the dominance of traffic in the area.
The proposed re-alignment of the James Joyce Street Junction with Sean Mac Dermott Street follows best practice guidelines, in line with DMURS street design for urban streets. The proposal will see the narrowing of the carriageway and the restoration of the public footpath alignment. The proposal will provide a safer environment for both cyclists and pedestrian and provides opportunities to enhance the environmental services in the area.
Buckingham Street is a very large underused, one-way street that facilitates a huge amount of car parking in a very densely populated area. The proposed study wants to investigate the possibilities of enhancing the public realm by reducing the extent at which the street is traffic focused and look at a more pedestrian focused design and the possibility of a linear style park the length of Buckingham Street
The Proposed Greening intervention provides an opportunity to completely transform the current approach into the NEIC. Proposing to de-pave approximately 560 sqm of hard surface and the establishment of large planting areas promoting environmental services such as: SuDS, protecting biodiversity, Air filtration, carbon sequestration. While also creating an attractive environment for both visitors and residents alike and further helping to break the dominance of traffic in the North East Inner City. The Proposal will also help to create a more prominent attractive feature of the monument ‘Universal Links on Human Rights’
Medium scale short term greening intervention pending feasibility study / surveys for larger scale greening.
Allocation for general maintenance and remedial works
Minor greening interventions and School projects
For more information on the plans associated with the Greening Strategy for the North-East Inner City, please check out www.neic.ie. Alternatively, you can contact me by email at Paschal.Donohoe@oireachtas.ie and I will secure clarification and additional information on any project or initiative planned as part of the 2021 North-East Inner City Greening Strategy.