Killinarden Park. Finian McCarthy LR1 Research report Word Count 4/01/2022
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An analysis of spatial dynamics in Killinarden Park and the relationships between the space and its environs, including people, nature and movement.
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Contents. Contents.
Figures List.
Title & Statement.
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1. 3. 6.
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Abstract & Introduction.
Main Body. Boundaries....................... 11.
Housing.......................... 15.
9. 25. 26.
Access........................... 20.
Features & Management............ 23.
Conclusion.
Bibliography.
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Figures. Fig. 1.1
- Map of Killinarden park. Accessed 27 / 12 / 2021 [Online: https:// cadmapper.com/pro/home]
Fig. 1.2
- Photograph. Taken 29 / 09 / 2021
Fig. 2.1
- Park Boundary Diagram
Fig. 2.2
- Photograph. Taken 29 / 09 / 2021
Fig. 3.1
- Photograph. Taken 29 / 09 / 2021
Fig. 3.2
- CPTED Diagram Accessed 30/12/2021 [https://www.researchgate. net/figure/Crime-Prevention-Through-Environmental-Design-CPTED-concepts_fig1_341157049
Fig. 3.3
- Fenceing Map.
Fig. 4.1
- Image of Santa Rosa, California. Accessed 31 / 12 / 2021
Fig. 4.2
- Image of Santa Rosa, California. Accessed 31 / 12 / 2021
Fig. 4.3
- Catherine Dee. Accessed 01 / 01 / 2022 [https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ucd/reader.action?docID=4912012]
Fig. 5.1
- Aerial image showing property walls. Accessed 31 / 12 / 2021 [https://earth.google.com/web]
Fig. 6.1
- Image of Iveagh Gardens. Accessed 10 / 01 / 2021 [https://earth. google.com/web]
Fig. 6.2
- Image of houses bordering Killinarden Park. Accessed 29 / 12 / 2021 [https://earth.google.com/web]
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Fig. 6.3
- Image of Coultry Gardens. Accessed 01 / 01 / 2022 [https://earth. google.com/web]
Fig. 7.1
- Aerial image showing Properties bordering Killinarden Park. Accessed 31 / 12 / 2021 [https://earth.google.com/web]
Fig. 8.1
- Photograph of Knockmore Ave entrance. Taken 29 / 09 / 2021
Fig. 8.2
- Photograph of Donomore Heights entrance. Taken 29 / 09 / 2021
Fig. 9.1
- Aerial image showing entrances and access routes. Accessed 31 / 12 / 2021 [https://earth.google.com/web]
Fig. 10.1 - Photograph of Whitestown Stream. Taken 29 / 09 / 2021 Fig. 10.2 - SDCC Killinarden Park Survey Results. Accessed 02 / 01 / 2022
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Killinarden Park.
Fig. 1.1
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Ti tle. An analysis of spatial dynamics in Killinarden Park and the relationships between the space and its environs, including people, nature and movement.
Stateme nt . The relationships a space has with its environment and the people around it is of paramount importance to facilitating positive spatial dynamics, especially in the context of a residential park where this space is a prominent part of a large number of people’s daily lives. Killinarden Park is an example of a space where the relationship between the space and its surroundings is not entirely positive. Public parks should be designed for the enhancement of a space and the dynamics there-in, rather than being a space left over after planning.
Fig. 1.2 LR1 Research Report
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A bst ra ct.
K
illinarden Park, located just SouthWest of Tallaght town centre in South Dublin, is a residential green space that borders four housing estates, most of which were built in the late 1970’s and 80’s, although new housing developments have been erected as recently as the past decade. This space is one of many parks and open spaces in Dublin that has experienced some hardship in the past that local the local government as well as local residents contend with. South Dublin County Council have tried to combat antisocial behaviour in the past by building fences enclosing the park and placing kissing gates and styles at every entrance. Throughout the process of fencing off the park and protecting it from people, the space has become uninviting and a disconnect is felt between the park and its potential users. The layout of the housing development in relation to the shape and extents of Killinarden Park is also in question. As will be analysed further on in the text, the placement of housing and other properties can have a
significant effect on how one feels when in the park or even when observing the space from outside. More specifically, in Killinarden Park, a significant portion of its boundaries are made up of the tall walls surround private properties. In almost all cases, these walls are not buffered with vegetation or by any other mean, rather acting as an abrupt end to the park.
Fig. 2.1 - Park Boundaries. Private Property (Red), Fences and Gates (Blue)
Key Ter m s : Park Bou n dar y, Su bu rbs , Resid ential Pa rk, Sp a tia l Dynam ics .
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I ntro duc tion.
K
illinarden Park in South-West Dublin stretches over almost 20 hectares of suburban Tallaght, sitting between the Killinarden, Knockmore, and Donomore housing estates. It is the experience of those who live in the homes - and others surrounding Killinarden park - that will be the main focus of this research report. The park is an extremely open, vast expanse primarily dominated by grass lawns, with Whitestown Stream running through its northern end. The shape of the park consists of a 14-ha main body with three branches that extend deeper into the housing estates bordering the space. When analysing the park, it became apparent that the types of boundaries that enclose the park seem to function to create a divide between the park and the people living in the housing developments. The boundaries are extremely abrupt to the point where they often become the most prominent feature in one’s view of the park. From the perspective of someone outside the park looking in, the park feels uninviting since sharp metal fences symbolise a feeling of not belonging. The
entrances to the park consist of kissing gates and styles which may too contribute to the parks isolated feeling. This research report will attempt to determine how one might experience Killinarden Park and will analyse the relationships that people have with the park and how existing design theories and methods might be applied to aid in mending the dynamics existing in this park.This report does not aim to fix social or economic issues existing in and around the space as these are too complex to be solved simply by landscape design; rather, the aim of this research is to investigate issues inherent in the current state of Killinarden Park in terms of design philosophy and management, as well as issues in urban planning which have led to a feeling of empty space in the middle of the suburban fabric of Tallaght. This research also hopes to be applicable to landscape design and urban planning as a whole in order to better understand the dynamics in suburban parks and open spaces.
Fig. 2.2
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M a i n Bod y.
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ane Jacobs once wrote, “consider city parks deprived places that need the boon1 of life and appreciation conferred on them.”2 This was in reference to the common belief that saw neighbourhood parks as being the boon that one might provide to a deprived population. Jacobs believed that it is the peoples use of parks and their connection to them that create a successful space, for it is in a state of rejection that a park fails. Killinarden Park is one such space which – as will be explored further – has failed to make that critical connection to the neighbourhood. This phenomenon is
extremely common, with every successful neighbourhood park and open space having dozens of unsuccessful counterparts that fall short of potential. As Jacobs wrote, parks are often seen as a solution to issues of uniformity in an urban and suburban landscape, or as a planner’s quick fix for an unattractive space, however, on many occasions these spaces may have done more harm than good in their communities3. Killinarden Park, along with many parks in suburban Dublin feels like a closed off, unsafe places that does not provide the community with a space to play, relax, escape, or move through securely.
Fig. 3.1 - Harsh fenced boundaries in Killinarden Park.
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One cannot simply come up with a framework for park design in order to consistently create successful parks that are received well by the residents who use it. The issues that face these spaces are far too complex to create any generalised statements about their success, or lack there-of. Instead of looking at spaces when considering green parks and open spaces, one must instead consider the people; the users of the space and their needs in a given environment. Rodney Matsuoka and Rachel Kaplan in their analysis of landscape and urban planning explored the “People needs” in a natural landscape in an urban context. This study found that an urban or suburban green space needs
contact with nature, encountering beauty, relaxation, and recreation4. Unfortunately, for generations public spaces have been designed in such a manor that suits the developer to the detriment of the people. Spaces like Killinarden Park are easy to maintain and since people avoid spaces like this, the developers or local authorities have “no undesirable people to worry about”5. As Amanda Burden stated in her 2014 TED conference, to create successful public spaces, you must tap into your humanity instead of your design expertise. To explore how Killinarden Park might be made more attractive and inviting to the people it serves, certain elements of it must be analysed in depth.
100m
Fig. 3.2 - Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)
Fig. 3.3 - Map of Fence locations around Killinarden Park, accounting for over 60% of its perimeter.
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Boundaries.
CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) is a method by which developers and local authorities attempt to shape the landscape to influence public behaviour. The central belief of this design philosophy is that designed spaces can either encourage or discourage crime. There are three key elements to this style of landscape design: Territoriality, Surveillance, and Access Control6. This style of controlling design manifests itself in Killinarden Park primarily through its boundaries. South Dublin County Council have, on a number of occasions attempted to aid in solving some issues
that this and many other parks have been facing. According to the South Dublin County Council Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy 2018, their aim is to tackle anti-social behaviour, “through prevention, reduction, enforcement, support and rehabilitation”7. Fences and kissing gates have been placed all around Killinarden with over 60% of the park’s perimeter consisting of them. These fences are sharp and directly separate the people living in the adjacent homes from the park. In recent years this practice of restricting access to the park has continued in other locations, albeit with a different
Fig. 4.1 - Existing open space boundary in Street Lane Park, Santa Rosa, California.
Fig. 4.2 - Proposed extension to the space with “Outdoor rooms” and passive surveillance.
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style of fencing. High, impermeable fences are far less attractive than other means of space creation, and they do not create the sense of safety with passive surveillance that may have been intended when they were constructed. As stated in an article in the Journal of Green Building, “when used inappropriately, fences can appear too confining”8. Having visited Killinarden Park on a number of occasions, there was evidence of cars and motorbikes entering the park illegally. The fences that surround the park were clearly put in place by SDCC to help reduce this as an issue. There are still some parts of the park that have been left unfenced, however, in their place is a short, concrete wall. The buffer zones on either side of these fences also seem to be suffering some issues. These spaces should be used as a soft boundary zone around the park which either invites one into the park or provides those in the park with a sense of place. The tall fences The second most prevalent boundary type existing in Killinarden Park is private property walls. As will be discussed in the Housing section of this research paper, the orientation of streets and housing in relation to the park can be of major detriment to the usability of the space and the overall opinions that people who live near the park have. These walls are rarely buffered and are heavily vandalised. The green carpet of glass that dominates the vastness of the park runs right up to these property walls with no buffer or gradient. Very basically, these extremely harsh sections of the edge of Killinarden Park
could be softened by the use of vegetation9. The walls that separate the park from the gardens are all roughly 2.2m tall, made of concrete blocks. From inside the park, one would notice that these walls serve a creator of space, a defining feature in the landscape to enclose the park and to create subspaces in the park through suggested space. James Kunstler said, “to create a place of character and quality, you have to be able to define space.”10 As is stated in the book “Open(ing) Spaces”, the stronger a boundary in a space is, the more cramped the space tends to feel11. Intimacy in parks can, of course be a positive feeling, however, the strength of the boundaries in question directly contradicts the vastness of the space and the fact that the park does not have an active and permeable membrane.
Fig. 4.3 - Catherine Dee sketch of vegitation gradients in plan (top) and section (bottom).
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Borders consiting of private property walls in Killinarden Park.
Fig. 5.1 - Housing sharing a border with Killinarden park. (Not to Scale
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Fig. 6.1 - Iveagh Gardens. Outdoor rooms.
Housing.
The extremely fast urbanisation and suburban sprawl of Dublin in the 20th century led to the need to compensate by counterbalancing the negative impacts of cities. This was done by adding a large number of parks in suburban spaces12. Unfortunately, this led to large open spaces that like Killinarden Park which were surrounded by houses but very few of the people seemed to find much recreational value. As stated previously in the Boundaries section of this text, Killinarden Park borders many different housing developments, many
of which contain homes that share a border with the park. The potential effects that this type of housing placement can have on the people of Killinarden will be explored further in this portion of research. One of the most important things to consider here is the view of the park from the houses in question; both from the gardens and from inside the buildings, as well as from the view of the street. What will also be examined is the boundary from inside the park. This is of vital importance because of the effects the houses have on the park as itself.
Fig. 6.2 - Long stretches of private property walls bordering Killinarden Park
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Fig. 6.3 - Park at Coultry Gardens extending right up to the houses with no separations. There are a number of parks around Dublin that border directly on to houses and other buildings, however, it seems that many of these spaces either make better use of this by creating intimate spaces and outdoor rooms. In more urban parts of Dublin are parks that must share borders with buildings for lack of space, however in the case of the Iveagh Gardens, this has been taken advantage of by creating beautiful views from the buildings facing the park and using the tall, built structures as walls of an outdoor room. The views are extremely limited from the homes that border the park. The property walls block views from the gardens and from inside the house which can lead to people almost forgetting that the park is there. The people living in these buildings would only get the opportunity to see the park from the first story of their home, however there are very few landscape features that one might see and feel enticed to visit the space. From the front of the house there seems to be better opportunities
for people to experience the park without entering. While the view might be partially obscured by the fences, the experience of seeing the park from the front of the house is extremely beneficial as people will see it as part of their daily lives. The issues of house placement and the views from the homes could be solved by changing the shape of the park slightly incorporate a buffer zone between the rear and sides of the private properties and the park. Alternatively, the housing development could be expanded to reach further into the park, with the objective of having fewer – if not no houses facing away from the park. As for the front of the house, the park could even be brought up closer to the house, pedestrianising the access to the house and making the home feel like it is part of the park. This concept has been employed in parts of Dublin before such as Coultry Gardens in Dublin 9. The aim of this type of change is to build a better connection with between the park and the people who use it.
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Fig. 7.1 - Housing sharing a border with Killinarden park. (Not to Scale) LR1 Research Report
81 Houses Sharing a Border with Killinarden Park.
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Access.
Killinarden Park has 19 total entrances. For the most part, they are located at the ends of cul-de-sacs in the various housing estates connected to the park. There are two main road that connect to the park; Killinarden Heights and Whitestown Way. Access to the park for the public is purely pedestrian with the majority of entrances having steel kissing gates or styles to prevent vehicular entry. Many of these entrances feel restrictive with massive boulders placed at an entrance on Donomore avenue to the South of the park. They slow down movement into the park and they feel like somewhat of an obstacle. Of course, these obstacles, kissing gates and styles were installed by the local authorities
in an effort to reduce antisocial behaviour in Killinarden Park. This is extremely common in Dublin; however, it can often have the effect of making the park seem less desirable. For a park of its size – roughly 19 hectares – Killinarden Park has an extremely high number of entrances. Sean Walsh Memorial Park, for example, which is located very close to Killinarden Park is 39 hectares and has only 10 entrances. The entrance typologies, are extremely different and this may contribute to the feeling that Killinarden Park if difficult to enter. Sean Walsh Park has a number of primary entrances that serve as entrances for people who are traveling to visit the park, in Killinarden, all entrances are extremely small and almost unnoticeable. In
Fig. 8.1 - Knockmore Avenue entrance.
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the case of Killinarden Park, the entrances seem to be designed to keep people out, save for absolutely necessary access. For example, the entrance on Knockmore Avenue is extremely narrow for the purpose of not letting motorbikes in, however this have the knock-on effect of restricting cyclist movement which is extremely important, especially given that a school is located right beside it. The park is, of course, used as a route for hundreds of people to go to Knockmore Junior School every day. This kind
of restricting movement might discourage cycling from students and staff from this school. There are similar access restrictions for the Sacred Heart Senior National School along with Tallaght Business Park which lies to the North-East of the park. Movement around Tallaght and Killinarden should be encouraging the use of green spaces as access routes, however, in its current form, the environment seems more suited to the car than people.
Fig. 8.2 - Donomore Avenue entrance. LR1 Research Report
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Killinarden Park Knockmore Junior School
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Fig. 9.1 - Entrances and access routes. (Not to Scale) LR1 Research Report
Tallaght Business Park
Entrances and Access Routes From Near-by Houses.
Sacred Heart Senior N.S.
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Features and Management. The inside of Killinarden Park has changed very little in recent history with South Dublin County Council choosing to develop other parks in the county such as Tymon Park and Dodder Valley Park. The park contains three sports fields, two of which are for GAA while the other was for soccer, however the goal posts of the soccer field are currently in severe disrepair, and the two GAA fields intersect each other. This means that at any given time, only one of these fields can be used fully. Whitestown stream runs through the Northern part of the park with one pedestrian bridge. Half of this section of the stream is heavily canalised with the river bed and banks being made of concrete. The less canalised part has naturally occurring vegetation and it can be assumed that it is a dynamic habitat and an asset to the park. Biodiversity habitats in Killinarden Park are rare as the grass that dominates the land is cut regularly and there are few trees and shrubs. Grass around the park is all uniformly cut all year round and which is not conducive to a space that supports biodiversity and links to the large network of ecological patches and corridors that South Dublin County Council have been developing largely over the past decade. Unfortunately, compared to comparable cities around the European
Union, Dublin falls short in terms of canopy cover. The entire county of Dublin has roughly 10% canopy cover, but in order to meet European Standards, 15% cover is needed13. Large spaces like Killinarden Park have extremely high potential for being turned into Ecological hub in South Dublin, along with being an attractive, friendly park for the public to feel connected to. Unfortunately, due to the circumstances regarding the pandemic, surveys and interviews of Killinarden Park users was not possible so data from different sources must be used to figure out what needs the people of Killinarden have and what they would like installed in a new or updated suburban park. In 2020, South Dublin County Council conducted a survey of 853 people regarding this topic14. The results showed that people who use Killinarden Park have their priorities set on recreation and play and exercise for all age groups, as well as seating areas to stop and relax in the park. These aspects we identified earlier in this text as issues worth discussing further. There are currently no facilities in the park that allow for relaxation and play, something that the public seem to agree on. Judging from these results, it would seem that the people of Killinarden want to have a usable space for them to enjoy.
Fig. 10.1 - Whitestown Stream
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Survey Results.
Fig. 10.2 - SDCC Killnarden Park survey results. LR1 Research Report
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Con cl u sion s. Killinarden Park has the potential to be an extremely important and influential park that could connect to the larger system of open spaces in the county. Clearly Dublin and Ireland as a whole is in desperate need of more space and protection for biodiversity and habitats. With Sean Walsh Memorial Park, Dodder Valley Park, and Tymon Park all very close by, they system of ecological patches could be expanded further into Tallaght, with the Dodder and Whitestown stream being used as corridors or greenways. With the growing concerns regarding climate change, there is an urgent need to expand cycling in urban and suburban environments. Currently, Killinarden Park connects many facilities and meeting points such as the two primary schools, Killinarden Shopping centre, and of course the numerous housing developments. The movement through the space is, however, hindered by the fact that in certain areas it might feel unsafe and access to it is limited. Killinarden park has 19 ha worth of open green space which would be perfect for a dynamic, safe, and enjoyable community park. The research conducted in this report attempted to accurately describe this park and the relationships that it has with the people that use it. This will be used in later design stages to inform the types of dynamics existing in the park, and the relationships that the park hopes to protect and/or create. According to the survey conducted by SDCC, the public would be in agreement that this park is an underutilised space that they want to enjoy as part of their daily lives.
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Bi b l i og ra p hy.
[Chicago Referencing style] Boon: a timely benefit. [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ 1. boon] 2.
Jacobs, Jane. “The death and life of great American cities.” Vintage, 2016.
3.
McNamara, Catherine. “The Cross-Bronx Double Cross: How the Cross-Bronx Expressway has Affected Paediatric Asthma in the Bronx.” (2012).
4.
Matsuoka, Rodney H., and Rachel Kaplan. “People needs in the urban landscape: analysis of landscape and urban planning contributions.” Landscape and urban planning 84, no. 1 (2008): 7-19.
5.
Burden, Amanda. “How public spaces make cities work.” TED 2014 [https://www.ted.com/talks/amanda_burden_how_public_spaces_make_cities_ work?language=en#t-223826]
6.
Armitage, Rachel, and Paul Ekblom. “Rebuilding Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design.” Routledge, 2018.
7.
South Dublin County Council. “Anti-social Behaviour Stratagy.” 2018 [https://www.sdcc.ie/en/services/community/joint-policing-committee/ antisocial-behaviour/antisocial-behaviour.html]
8.
Goltsman, Susan, Laurel Kelly, Susan McKay, Patricia Algara, and Larry Wight. “Raising “free range kids”: Creating neighborhood parks that promote environmental stewardship.” Journal of Green Building 4, no. 2 (2009): 90-106.
9.
Dee, Catherine. Form and fabric in landscape architecture: a visual introduction. Taylor & Francis, 2004.
10.
Kunstler, James H., “The ghastly tragedy of the suburbs.” TED 2004. [https://www.ted.com/talks/james_howard_kunstler_the_ghastly_tragedy_ of_the_suburbs#t-236918]
11.
Hans, Loidl, and Bernard Stefan. “Opening Spaces: Design as Landscape Architecture.” (2003)
12.
Baljon, Lodewijk. ”Designing Parks: an examination of contemporary approaches to design in landscape architecture, based on a comparative design analysis of entries for the Concours International: Parc de la Villette, Paris, 1982-3.” Wageningen University and Research, 1992.
13.
South Dublin County Council. “Living with Trees, South Dublin County Council Tree Management Policy 2021 - 2026.” 2021
14.
South Dublin County Council. “Killinarden Park Survey Results.” 2020
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