Choosing a SitePhase 2

Love the City

Methodology

The pink feedback forms which the team had gotten the visitors to the exhibition to fill out were revisited and re-examined. I mapped all the results of question 3 on the survey:

‘What area in the city centre do you think needs more love and why?’

The map and research suggested a couple of areas to me, Smithfield, Stoneybatter, the Liberties, Mountjoy Square, O‘Connell Street and Thomas Street. After walking around some of the areas and it was found that Mountjoy Square had significant potential for our project. This area is being proposed as option one. Included in this report is an article from an AAI publication, ‘Building Material’, which made me think of the potenital richness and sense of community which can be found in sub-divided old houses. Option two was chosen intuitively, keeping in mind that the pink feed-back forms had indicated that the docklands was an area in need of some creative energy and other elements of cultural interest.

Mapping of all responses from question 3 of pink slips

Option 1

Option 2

Option 1 - Mountjoy Square

Mountjoy Square was noted in the exhibition as being a part of the city which is wor-thy of more love. It is currently in a state of disrepair for the most part, yet it is only a five minute walk from O’Connell Street. The population there appears to be both dense and ethnically diverse. The park is a little grim and is showing signs of social issues, although it has plenty of potential to be beautiful amenity. In the near vicinity is Temple Street Children’s Hospital, a church and a significant public building which was recently converted to office use and is currently vacant. There is also a row of shops, the majority of which are vacant also.

Option 2 - CHQ, the Sean O’Casey Bridge and the social housing on the opposite side of the river

The pink slips had noted that the docklands need more love. CHQ does not appear to be very busy with quite a few empty units. The shops are all quite upmarket and the surrounding area in the IFSC appears to be quite clinical. Directly across the river is a social housing development. Some of the units are decorated with Christmas lights. They have some small communal garden spaces with only grass growing in them.