Phibsborough Public Realm Plan

PKA's public realm plan for Phibsborough was commissioned by Dublin City Council in response to concerns among residents and businesses for the quality of the neigbourhood's streetscape and public spaces.

One of Dublin's best known neighbourhoods, Phibsborough is an important local centre. With a vibrant combination of established and emerging communities, it is also home to institutions of national significence - Mountjoy Prison, the Mater Hospital and Dalymount Park.

The City Council's brief to PKA was to bring forward proposals for five sites, the implementation of which would pump-prime investment in other developments to reconfigure Phibsborough as a truly sustainable neighbourhood - one with high quality transport, amenities and services, as well as sustainable residential densities.

Following our preliminary research and consultations with stakeholder departments of the city council, as well as residents and businesses, PKA brought forward a menu of possible 'flagship' projects for the five selected sites: the shopping centre, the public library, the canal bank, St. Peters Church and the village crossroads.

While some were considered 'premature', the proposal that emerged as favourite and most feasible for development in the short term was PKA's plan to link the Royal Canal Bank with the Phibsborough library; creating a traffic-calmed crossing of the North Circular Road, a landscaped ramp from the canal bank, a landscaped forecourt to the library, and screens to conceal the unsightly facades of the buildings on either side.

The project is currently 'on hold' because of the not-yet completed Bus Connect plans for the area, which are scheduled to be finalised in summer 2020.

Client: Dublin City Council
Value: N/A

Size: N/A
Reference: Ms Brid Brosnan, DCC Parks Dept.
Design: 2007