Development plan · Dublin City Council
Dublin City Development Plan 2022–2028 – Volume 1: Written Statement (as varied by Variations Nos. 1–11)
The council's development plan written statement: its strategy, policies, objectives and development standards.
Dublin City Council · 2022–2028 · 696 pages
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- Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028 | Executive Summary 1 Executive Summary The Dublin City Development Plan (2022-2028) is a plan which sets out how the city will develop to meet the needs of all residents, workers and visitors. The Dublin City Development Plan (2022-2028) was created through a four stage drafting process that invited the public to share their opinions on the future of Dublin City. The Development Plan came into effect on 14th December 2022 and there have been 11 no. variations (changes) since that date. The Development Plan documents and mapping have been amended to incorporate Variation No’s. 1 to 11. The aim of the plan is to improve the quality of life for its citizens, and make sure that Dublin City is an attractive place to live, work and visit. The plan’s policies and objectives: ▪ guide growth and development, ▪ provide a strategy to achieve proper planning, and ▪ show how we will achieve sustainable development, that is development that meets our needs now and won’t compromise future generations meeting their needs. The plan has 16 key chapters and we summarise the main points in each chapter. Chapter 1 provides a context for the plan and all other chapters focus on a specific theme or themes. As you read, you will notice the high level of integration and interdependence between themes and actions across chapters.
- Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028 | Executive Summary 2 Chapter 1: Strategic Context and Vision The development plan sets out the strategic approach and vision to meet the needs and aspirations of citizens of Dublin and the country. This approach is not only for the 6-year life of the plan, but also for the long term. The main strategic approach of the plan is to develop a city that is: ▪ low carbon, ▪ sustainable, ▪ climate resilient (a capability to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from significant hazardous events such as floods with minimum damage to social wellbeing, the economy, and the environment). The vision is for a capital city where people will choose to: ▪ live, ▪ work, ▪ experience city living, ▪ invest, and ▪ socialise. In more detail, our vision for Dublin City is that within the next 10 years, it will have an established international reputation as a city region that is one of Europe’s most: ▪ sustainable, ▪ dynamic, and ▪ resourceful cities. Dublin, through the shared vision of its citizens and civic leaders, will be a beautiful, compact city, with a: ▪ distinct character, and ▪ vibrant culture. It will also have a diverse, green, and innovation-based economy. Dublin will be a socially inclusive city of urban neighbourhoods based on the principle of the 15-minute city. This means people’s daily requirements can be reached within 15 minutes by foot, bike or public transport. In this way, it is compact. All development will be connected by exemplary public transport, cycling and walking systems. The city will be interwoven with a high-quality green-space network.
- Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028 | Executive Summary 3 Chapter 2: Core Strategy The aim of the core strategy is to guide how and where development should happen in the city. This strategy sets out the long-term vision for the city and promotes ‘compact growth’. Compact growth involves the better use of available land within built up areas close to public transport and the city centre for development opportunities. It is also growth that is in line with developments for public transport, including cycle paths and quality footpaths. The core strategy must show that there is enough suitable ‘zoned land’ to meet the targets set out in national and regional policy, using the ‘prescribed methodology’. ‘Zoned land’ is land that is assigned or designated for certain uses such as residential use. ‘Prescribed methodology’ refers to the national guidelines that set out a specific way to calculate population and housing targets. Population Targets The plan considers population targets. It uses the national guidelines on how to calculate likely population increase. By 2028, the city must accommodate between 20,120 – 31,520 additional people, up to an overall population target of between 625,750 and 640,000 people by 2028. Housing Targets The plan also sets out the requirement for housing need. The city needs to provide for about 44,658 housing units between 2022 and 2028, plus additional provision of up to 12,294 housing units annually (post 2025). Our land-capacity analysis shows that there is enough zoned land to accommodate about 72,000 housing units. That is enough land to meet the needs of the population and housing targets set by the Guidelines from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the National Planning Framework. Putting the Plan in Place The City Council’s objective is to deliver the core strategy population and housing targets through: ▪ plan making such as Local Area Plans, ▪ active land management (for example through measures such as the vacant site levy), and ▪ working with other sectors and agencies (like the Land Development Agency). It also means monitoring and evaluating measures, like how well targets in the plan are being met. Chapter 3: Climate action Climate change involves changes to our climate that are caused directly or indirectly by human activities and which result in greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere.
- Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028 | Executive Summary 4 An example of such human activity that can cause climate change is the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, which releases harmful gases like carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide. The Dublin City Council Climate Change Action Plan (2019-2024) has acknowledged the effects of climate change. The change has already significantly affected Dublin City at a rate that is likely to become more frequent and intense. We need to make sure that the city: ▪ adapts to the impacts of change, and ▪ mitigates climate change in line with national policy. As Dublin City continues to grow, it will increase the need to manage sustainably: ▪ water, ▪ land, ▪ transportation, ▪ energy, ▪ housing, and ▪ waste disposal. The challenge will be to: ▪ reduce energy demand, ▪ reduce greenhouse gas emissions (particularly a reduction of carbon dioxide), ▪ encourage the development of decentralised, alternative sources of energy (for example district heating which is a centralised heating system of distributing low carbon heat or through renewable sources such as wind or solar energy). The plan must pay attention to the action areas identified in: ▪ The National Planning Framework (NPF) ▪ The Regional Spatial Economic Strategy ▪ The National Climate Action Plan 2021 ▪ The Climate Change Action Plan for Dublin City (2019 – 2024) ▪ National Development Plan 2021 to 2030 ▪ The Whole of Government Economy Strategy 2022 - 2023 The other main responses in the plan to the challenges posed by climate change include: ▪ sustainable settlement patterns (like compact growth – the better use of available land within built up areas close to public transport and the city centre for development opportunities), ▪ the built environment (for example retrofitting houses with measures such as better insulation to make them more sustainable), ▪ waste management, ▪ flood resilience,
- Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028 | Executive Summary 5 ▪ sustainable transport (promoting more walking, cycling and use of public transport), and ▪ green-space network and ecosystem services (like more green spaces and nature based measures to reduce flooding). The overall strategic approach to climate action is that all parts of the plan should include ways to manage and adapt to climate change. This will make sure that Dublin becomes a low-carbon, climate-resilient city. Chapter 4: Shape and Structure of the City The aim for the future development of Dublin City is to achieve a high quality, sustainable urban environment, which is attractive to residents, workers and visitors. We will encourage compact growth throughout the city by promoting appropriate: ▪ infill development (developing vacant or underused land), and ▪ use of brownfield lands and sites. Brownfield sites are made up of land that has previously been used for building, engineering or other operations, but not for temporary uses or urban green spaces. They generally comprise redundant industrial lands or docks. They may also include former barracks, hospitals and occasionally obsolete housing areas. We will also promote targeted growth along important transport corridors such as along the DART or Luas lines. There is a new policy to manage height of buildings throughout the city. This policy is based on a combination of location and performance criteria. The priority areas for future development will be in: ▪ the inner city, ▪ Key Urban Villages (KUVs), and ▪ Strategic Development and Regeneration Areas (SDRAs). The plan identifies 19 SDRAs and these are primarily brownfield lands, which are identified as suitable for a greater intensity of development due to their good public transport connections. The aim is to create high quality, mixed-use communities with a good range of facilities and amenities such as schools, crèches, community facilities as well as employment opportunities. In terms of the KUVs, there are 12 of these throughout the city. Finglas and Rathmines are examples of KUVs as they are important local retail centres.
- Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028 | Executive Summary 6 These align with the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy retail hierarchy – which sets out the appropriate level of retail that should occur in different centres across the city. The objective of the plan is that KUVs will be developed further to provide a range of: ▪ retail, ▪ commercial, ▪ employment, ▪ community and other services. Urban villages and smaller neighbourhood centres will also play a central role in developing the concept of a 15-minute city. This means people’s daily requirements can be reached within 15 minutes by foot, bike or public transport. The plan aims to continue to consolidate and environmentally upgrade these local centres. Chapter 5: Quality Housing and Sustainable Neighbourhoods We aim to create a compact city with sustainable neighbourhoods. To do this, it is fundamental that we provide quality housing that is: ▪ suitable for citizens throughout their lives, and ▪ adaptable to people’s changing circumstances. The city must provide quality homes and sustainable community facilities and amenities. These need to meet the needs of the city’s population and contribute to the making of good, connected neighbourhood plans. Significant population growth is forecast for Dublin City. This means we must plan for new and growing communities and an increasingly diverse as well as an ageing population. Our city must have housing that is affordable and attractive to all. Socially Inclusive Housing The development plan includes a socially inclusive Housing Strategy for the existing and future population of the city. This includes catering for the needs of those who require social housing. The Housing Strategy is designed to address overall housing needs and the need for supported housing types. The outcomes from the Housing Strategy inform the core strategy and other policies and objectives dealing with future housing need. Enough Land but High Demand for Housing The Housing Strategy (Appendix 1 of volume 2 of the development plan) shows that there is enough, well-serviced land to meet the housing targets set out in the core strategy. However, there are ongoing challenges to delivering housing in the city. There is a pressing need to facilitate a significant increase in housing output while creating high-quality accommodation.
- Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028 | Executive Summary 7 We need to do this to address a range of housing issues including homelessness. We need to make sure that Dublin remains competitive as a place to live and invest in. The plan promotes principles including the 15-minute city, as these provide for sustainable urban neighbourhoods and villages. It does this by making places healthy to live in and by delivering well-designed, lifetime-adaptable developments. These developments must be close to existing services and facilities. Chapter 6: City Economy and Enterprise Dublin is an international city and gateway to the European Union for many businesses. The city and region contribute significantly to the country’s economy. The strategy for the city economy and enterprise is to: ▪ safeguard and enhance Dublin’s role as Ireland’s internationally competitive capital, ▪ promote strategic and targeted employment growth, ▪ support regeneration, ▪ tackle vacant premises, ▪ support the creation of high-quality urban spaces (like improvement to the public realm), ▪ support the transition to a low-carbon, green, circular economy (reuse and recycle economy), ▪ support key economic sectors, and ▪ foster local economic development and social enterprise. Better Use of Land to Support Work and Related Activity Dublin City is the country’s most significant employment centre. It attracts significant numbers of workers from surrounding local authority areas. We recognise the significance of providing land where employment can be developed. We also recognise that there has been significant change in the character of the city’s employment land over the last number of years. Much of the previous low-intensity industrial land has been redeveloped for: ▪ high-quality office use, and ▪ other more intensive employment land uses (example: a mix of residential and mixed use). The economic strategy seeks to build on these trends. It aims to continue supporting the shift from low intensity, land-extensive employment uses (for example low-rise warehouse uses) to more intensive employment activity. This includes encouraging land uses like: ▪ offices, ▪ services, ▪ retail outlets,
- Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028 | Executive Summary 8 ▪ tourism and culture-related services. The development plan promotes a more mixed-use philosophy. Employment land should be developed with or close to residential development. Chapter 7: The City Centre, Urban Villages and Retail Dublin city centre is where people come to experience the city’s vibrant street scenes, public spaces and varied cultural and leisure offerings. They come here to: ▪ shop, ▪ work, ▪ study, ▪ live, ▪ socialise, and ▪ spend time. The city’s Key Urban Villages (important local retail centres of which there are 12 identified in the city), urban villages and neighbourhood centres are the heart of their local communities. They: ▪ provide a focus for local activities, ▪ allow for sustainable urban living. They also allow people access to: ▪ local shops, ▪ services, ▪ community services, ▪ healthcare, ▪ amenities, and ▪ local work opportunities. Patterns of work and lifestyles have changed due to: ▪ changes in economic conditions, ▪ technological advances, ▪ retail trends, ▪ changing consumer behaviours, and ▪ the Covid-19 pandemic. People can now shop, work and be entertained from home so they are using the urban centres differently. To evolve and adapt to these trends, the city centre and the urban centres will need to offer wide-ranging amenities and uses to draw and attract visitors. This includes:
- Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028 | Executive Summary 9 ▪ leisure uses, ▪ residential uses, ▪ office development, ▪ community uses and ▪ retail. The main aim of the Retail Strategy for Dublin City is to make the city centre retail sector the core priority and the premier retail destination in the State. It also aims to promote and consolidate the role of the Key Urban Villages with an appropriate level of retail development. The strategy sets out how to improve the vibrancy, liveability and competitiveness of the city centre. It proposes: ▪ vibrant shopping streets, ▪ events, ▪ markets, ▪ family leisure activities, ▪ support for the evening economy such as pubs, theatre, cultural events, ▪ a city for homes, ▪ expanded and improved public spaces, ▪ new and upgraded pedestrian and cycle routes, and ▪ integrated public transport. The city’s Key Urban Villages, urban villages and neighbourhood centres have their own identity and sense of place. They allow people living in different parts of the city to access a wider variety of commercial, community, social and cultural services locally. These centres will support the ‘proximity principle’. This means people’s daily requirements can be reached within 15 minutes by foot, bike or public transport. The development plan seeks to make sure that the vitality and viability of these centres can be maintained long term. Chapter 8: Sustainable Movement and Transport Sustainable and efficient movement of people and goods is crucial for the success and vitality of the city. We need to move away from private car and fossil-fuel-based mobility to reduce the negative impacts of transport and climate change. The plan seeks to promote ease of movement within and around the city. It also aims to play a key role in: ▪ safeguarding the environment, and ▪ adapting to the impacts of climate change. This policy approach promotes:
- Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028 | Executive Summary 10 ▪ the integration of land use and transportation, and ▪ improved public transport and active travel infrastructure such as walking and cycling. The policy also promotes an increased shift towards sustainable modes of travel and an increased focus on the public realm (such as improved footpaths), as well as healthy placemaking. Healthy placemaking involves shaping the built environment so that healthy activities and experiences are integral to people's everyday lives. For example, measures to locate amenities are within walking distance and neighbourhoods that have more facilities such as parks and green spaces. This plan looks to the future of mobility in the city. This includes increasing the role of: ▪ shared mobility schemes, ▪ electric vehicles, and ▪ other ‘micro’ mobility options like e-scooters. Chapter 9: Sustainable Environmental Infrastructure and Flood Risk When planning how to use land, we must also ensure that development is integrated with supporting infrastructure to achieve sustainable development. This is a requirement of Ireland’s National Planning Framework (NPF) 2018 which identifies strategic projects to enhance: ▪ water supply, and ▪ waste-water treatment capacity. For Dublin to continue to grow and develop, we need to improve the sustainability of the following: ▪ energy, ▪ water, ▪ waste management, and ▪ resource efficiency. In addition, the policies and objectives in the development plan are intended to provide for: ▪ greater energy security and efficiency, ▪ enhanced digital connectivity, and ▪ a more holistic and nature-based approach to flood risk and surface water management. We must do all this while safeguarding environmental quality and providing for climate resilience. Applying these policies and objectives will contribute to wider climate action and environmental goals and targets.
Source Dublin City Council: Dublin City Development Plan 2022–2028 – Volume 1: Written Statement (as varied by Variations Nos. 1–11) (2022–2028) · Licence the publisher's termsText read from the publisher’s PDF; tables, maps and drawings do not survive as text, and page numbers are the PDF’s (its first page is 1). Check the original before relying on a passage.