Built Environment, heritage, natural solutions
It is a stated objective of the plan to achieve: An Enhanced Natural and Built Environment - To create a better environment and meet our environmental obligations by transitioning to a clean, low emission transport system, reducing car dependency, and increasing walking, cycling and public transport use.
As it redraws our city, our towns and urban villages, this strategy must seize the opportunity to improve our built and natural environment. The NTA’s efforts to minimise tree loss in the revised BusConnects plans are welcome, and additionally we believe landscaping and softening of cycle routes and light rail infrastructure through greening must be central to designs, and efforts to enhance the public realm – making it, cleaner, greener and more people friendly – must be taken at every turn.
The Dublin Tree Strategy recognises the numerous benefits of mature trees to our cityscape, from air quality to amenity value to heritage and placemaking. The NTA must strive to protect every tree possible, and planting schemes should take a holistic approach to biodiversity, with a focus on native varieties suitable for long-term retention, accompanied by pollinator-friendly plants, shrubs and flowers. Likewise, greenways should be green - they should not lead to the unnecessary removal of trees or established biodiversity-rich planting schemes, and new routes should be greened with the addition of native shrubs and no-mow or wildflower verges.
The Covid crisis has fostered a greater sense of community in many areas, and local access and connectivity has never been more vital. It is essential that every opportunity is taken to improve the public realm and make our villages and communities liveable, walkable, clean, safe places. Public realm improvements should aim to widen footpaths and provide civic spaces and safe cycling infrastructure - not just to enable people to commute by bike into the city centre, but to facilitate safe cycling for people of all ages and abilities in, around and between our communities.
We must take this opportunity to allocate the maximum space possible to people; to design our public spaces inclusively and with The Hierarchy of the Street in mind; and to pave the way for a future where our streets and urban villages are not dominated by cars. To that end, any reallocation of space should also make space for seating areas and parklets, enhanced by biodiverse planting schemes, and public transport hubs should be age-, gender- and disability-proofed; they should provide seating, they should be well lit, welcoming and safe, and in the case of bus shelters they should not impede access to footpaths, and they should face the direction of oncoming buses.
Disability access should prioritised in any on-street parking plans, and age-friendly parking bays should be introduced to accommodate those with reduced mobility or no access to alternative modes of transport.
Any changes must prioritise the safety and mobility of our most vulnerable street users; they must be inclusive and of a very high quality; and our city’s heritage must be recognised and respected. All care must be taken not to turn our urban villages into places to pass through rather than stop in, and above all we must not miss the opportunity to align this strategy with the key objective of the next Dublin City Development: delivering a 15 minute city..
Kind regards,
Cllr Carolyn Moore
Green Party Councillor for Kimmage-Rathmines
Cllr Claire Byrne
Green Party Councillor for the South East Inner City
Cllr Hazel Chu
Green Party Councillor for Pembroke