The guest speaker was Ed Jones, the discussion was chaired by James Hubbard, and the DCC client was Declan Wallace. A full list of participants is below.

The group explored the following issue:

There is a proposal to turn College Green into Dublin’s premier civic space; an exemplar in public realm design and a space of high amenity but which would still have to accommodate traffic. How can all the conflicting agendas and user requirements for this space be accommodated and reconciled under the umbrella of universal design?

Context

At present College Green is dominated by vehicular traffic, catering for buses, cars, taxis, cyclists and a forthcoming tram (LUAS). The aspiration is to move from the dominance of the vehicle in the space to the dominance of the pedestrian in the space, whilst acknowledging that not all traffic movements can be removed.

Until now, the ‘shared space approach’ has only been used in a residential context (low density suburban housing estates) in Ireland. The next challenge is to develop this approach to the high street or the urban context. Can the vision for College Green as Dublin’s premier civic space be achieved using this ‘shared space approach’, or will it necessitate a ‘delineated model’ of traffic management?

What could be piloted in 2015?

Objective

Devise a 2015 pilot project that could demonstrate how conflicting agendas and user requirements for College Green can be accommodated and reconciled under the umbrella of universal design.

Please see the group’s key slide plenary session presentation below.