Landscape Ireland- Winter 2007 by Vidhya Mohankumar

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g e t t i n g

a r o u n d . . .

I r i s O i f i g i ú i l I n s t i t i ú i d A ilitirí Tírdhreacha na hÉireann, Geimhridh 2007

LANDSCAPE I

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LANDSCAPE I

LANDSCAPE Ireland is the ofﬁcial journal of the Irish Landscape Institute. The Irish Landscape Institute is the representative body for Landscape professionals in Ireland. The Irish Landscape Institute is afﬁliated to the European Foundation for Landscape Architecture (EFLA). Editorial: Irish Landscape Institute 8 Merrion Square Dublin 2

C O N T E N T S P 04 News & Events

S P E C I A L

F E A T U R E S

P 09 Who’s Getting Around Where?

www.irishlandscapeinstitute.com

Editorial Committee: Deirdre Black Mark Boyle Daibhí Mac Domhnaill

P 12 Highways and Dislocation P 14 Getting Around the City P 18 Urbanism and Road Design P 24 Humanising the Urban Experience

P 08 The Greener side of Getting Around

Ph + 353 1 6627409 Email ili@irishlandscapeinstitute.com visit

R E G U L A R S P 10 An t-Eagarthóir P 26 Practice Profile: The Big Space P 28 Project Profile: Riverside II P 30 Book Review: Dublin 1660-1860 P 31 Classifieds

The Official Journal of the Irish Landscape Institute, Winter 2007

News & events

LANDSCAPE I

Two days in Athens for Landscape Architecture

the

love

Conference report, text and photos by Deirdre Black, While the temperatures were dropping last autumn, Deirdre Black travelled to Athens to attend a conference on the current state of the Landscape Architecture profession in Europe. The issues raised by the Building Control Bill here in Ireland had prompted the ILI to send a delegate to this conference presenting the varying European experiences of registering, legislating, protecting and promoting the title of Landscape Architect. The range of speakers and experiences was enlightening. It was interesting to hear the experience of the profession in countries where Landscape Architecture is undeniably strong, such as the Netherlands, Denmark, the UK and Germany, and compelling to hear the horror story from Spain where confused legislation makes the title Landscape Architect redundant. Indeed, the first draft of the Building Control Bill here in Ireland would have made the title Landscape Architect illegal to use in Ireland unless one was an Architect. The Council of the ILI challenged that assumption last year, and the current draft of the Bill ensures that the professional title is safe. Generally the profession is stronger in the northern European countries (with Portugal a notable exception). Landscape Architecture was described as “marginal” in the host country Greece where architects and agriculturalists tend to handle hard and soft landscapes respectively. With a masters course in place since 2003 and 80 practicing landscape architects in the country, the Greek Institute was confident that the lobbying of Ministries and Local Government would result in the raising of the profession’s profile. In comparison, the representative from the Netherlands had to work hard to hide his smugness. Not surprisingly, the president of the Dutch Landscape Association, Jeroen De Vries was able to state that in the Netherlands, “Landscape Architects are now on an equal footing with architects, urban and spatial planners in the planning process”. The Dutch Union of Landscape Architects dates back to 1945, the development of the New Polders obviously placing landscape planning and design high on the national agenda, and the title was formally protected when title legislation came into force in 1988. The Architect’s Register is charged with the registration of architects, town planners, landscape architects and interior architects. Admission to the register is purely based on educational experience and requires a higher education to master’s level. It is possible to sit an exam if an applicant with a lower educational qualification has had

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several years of professional experience. While the profession is equally strong in Denmark, the approach to title protection is quite different. Every year, 35-40 landscape architects graduate from the university in Århus and most join the national association, which is in typically Danish minimalist style is called “Danish Landscape Architects”. The association has had a magazine for 86 years and employs a full time editor. Poul Boerge Pedersen, the past president of the association explained that “networking and co-operation with other organizations, the schools, the government, regions and communities have over time, given the profession in Denmark its recognition”. The title of landscape architect is not protected in Denmark, and the speaker asserted that the qualification of landscape architect (the letters after his name) is widely recognized and respected. His advice to other countries where the profession is not so advanced was “do not use protection; use the power of your knowledge of the landscape”. Kathryn Moore, past president of the LI, spoke of the UK’s experience and particularly of the new approach to chartership. Most will be aware of Britain’s Part 1, Part II, Part III, Part IV progression to professional status, and the fact that the title Landscape Architect is registered in the UK by Royal Charter. The system has now been changed to a “progress to chartership” approach involving mentoring and a more lateral approach to knowledge and experience gathering. The defining feature of Moore’s talk was the offer of support to other Institutes in their development of title protection, improvement of educational accreditation or advice on policy development. In Germany, eleven Landscape Architecture university courses were established after the 1940’s, and five more established after reunification in the 1990’s. It is not surprising then that much more graduates are being produced than there is work for – a situation compounded by the current economical situation. However, Fritz Auweck described how the profession has built up a strong and wide professional profile with experts in Landscape Architectural Design, Landscape Planning, Nature protection, Landscape Construction and Landscape Management. By the 1950’s, the profession was strong enough to become incorporated into German Architecture law and regulations, including benefits in term of regulation of fees, completion entry, public planning tasks, pension funds, marketing and public relations. New European competitive standards will however reduce these protections

Iris oifigiúil Institiúid Ailitirí Tírdhreacha na hÉireann, Geimhridh 2007

LANDSCAPE and the profession is currently undergoing a phase of renewal demanding an increased flexibility in approach. The southern European countries have had a very different experience to those in the north, and the representative from Italy, Flora Vallone, explained how the first dedicated Landscape Architecture university course has only been in place since 2002. Several other courses are now on stream, leading to a complicated method of registration (resulting from the myriad educational methods of arriving at the role of landscape architect prior to 2002) monitored by the Register of Architects. Since 2001, Landscape Architecture has been a category in the Register, along with Spatial Planning and Environmental Conservation and Preservation. Before 2001, the only category on the Register was that of Architecture. The description of the professional sphere of activity for landscape architects on the Register was described as being limited, (design and restoration of gardens and parks, landscape planning projects) and work needs to be done in Italy to raise the profile and range of work available to the profession. The Spanish speaker, Ana Luengo began her talk with the sentence, “Spain is different”. Luengo described a situation where landscape architects work in a legal void, where while there are a number of master’s courses available, no landscape architecture graduate degree is officially recognized in Spain. The wording of the legislative protection of the title “Architect”, resulted in a situation where the title Landscape Architect can not be used, and Landscape Architects cannot legally play any role in contract administration. Hope is in sight however, with the political situation in Spain tending towards a state confederation where educational responsibilities will be granted to each of the various regions or states (Catalonia, Andalusia, Galicia etc.). This may result in an opportunity for the Spanish Association of Landscape Architects to tackle the issues preventing the development of the profession. The Dutch speaker gave succinct advice to all delegates on the successful development of the profession and, not surprisingly, notes were taken by all. I summarize this pragmatic approach below: •

Develop national, provincial and local policies for spatial planning, nature, cultural history and environment

•

Hold competitions on a national and regional scale that show the possible transformation of the landscape

•

Publish schemes in magazines and yearbooks of landscape architecture and urban planning, showing a wide range of examples of the work of landscape architects

•

Grow the awareness of private commissioners of the contribution of landscape architects to the quality of the working environment and the way it improves the public relations of business and industry

•

Grow the awareness of the general public of environmental and architectural quality through articles in newspapers and other media

Tools of the trade Robert Holden from the UK’s Landscape Institute gave an overview of the tools available to individual landscape architects and Landscape Institutes in the promotion and furthering of the aims of the profession. He made the point well that Landscape Architecture is a profession dependant on patronage. While historically patrons were rich individuals, today it tends to be legislation which leads the way, linked to a wider concern for the environment and “quality of life”. Holden gave the example of the 1946 New Towns Act in the UK resulting in over 30 towns being built – and it was a result of Sir Jeffrey Jellicoe’s lobbying that the legislation included a requirement that every new town have a landscape masterplan. A move which brought benefit and status to the landscape profession in the UK. Similarly, Germany had the benefit of legislation to support the development of the profession. The beginning of landscape planning legislation was marked by the establishment of the State Office for Natural Monument Care in 1906. The Reich Nature Protection Law of 1935 established more than 800 nature protection regions and after the war the Central Office for Conservation and Landscape Care continued on this work and evolved into the Federal Institute for Conservation and Landscape Care. The consequence of these beginnings is that Germany now has one of the most comprehensive systems of landscape planning and nature conservation in the world. Citing these example, and others, Holden reinforced the point that the profession needs to “lobby and make friends”, and went on to list the legislation available to us to support the case for the promotion of the profession’s importance and the importance of Landscape Architecture’s presence on a global policy making level. As a profession we should be aware of the legislative and statutory tools available. The following is a useful list to have to hand, of course many of you will be familiar with the legislation:

The Official Journal of the Irish Landscape Institute, Winter 2007

News & events

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UNESCO The 1971 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands The 1972 World Heritage Convention World Heritage Sites – instigated in 1972 United Nations Development Programme Of relevance for pollution control, environmental degradation, sustainable energy, Sustainable development, Biological diversity, Agenda 21, Environmental Assessment, Policy development, Marine ecology United Nations Economic Commission for Europe The Pan European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy Århus Convention (concerned with democracy, accountability, transparency and environmental protection including rights to access environmental information held by public authorities, private companies and EU institutions) Council of Europe Many Conventions are relevant including ones protecting Habitats, Architectural Heritage, Cultural Landscapes, Biological Diversity, but of most interest to Landscape Architects is the European Landscape Convention The European Landscape Convention “covers natural, rural, urban and peri-urban areas. It includes land, inland water and marine areas. It concerns landscapes that might be considered outstanding as well as everyday or degraded landscapes” The signatories to this Convention undertake to “recognize landscapes in law as an essential component of people’s surroundings”, “to establish and implement landscape policies” and to “integrate landscape into its regional and town planning policies”. This utterly relevant Convention is, according to Holden, the greatest opportunity for Landscape Architecture as a profession to step forward and take responsibility. For more information go to www.coe.int/t/e/Cultural_Co-operation/ Environment/Landscape Other recent EU Conventions relevant to Landscape Architects include the; Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (www.coe.int/t/e/Cultural_Co-operation/), The Warsaw Summit Action Plan and CAP. For further information contact: deirdre.black@scottwilson.com

2 . 3 m i llion Vehicl es on I r i s h Roads According to new Government ﬁgures the number of cars and other vehicles on Irish roads has nearly doubled in the past decade. There are now nearly 2.3m vehicles registered in Ireland an increase of over 1 million since the mid-1990s. According to the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, January 2007 was the busiest month ever for new car sales with over 46,000 new cars sold last month

Royal Canal Linear Park The Dublin Docklands Development Authority are seeking tenders for the provision of detail design services for the Royal Canal Linear Park which runs from run from North Wall Quay to Amiens Street. During the Summer of 2005 the Park was the subject of in international design competition won by French landscape architects Agences Ter. The outline proposal for the park include: • • • • • • • • •

Floating Pontoon structures Pedestrian bridges Floating cafes Barge Decks Water gardens Floating lawns Parks & playgrounds Street furniture Fences and shelters

The deadline for submission of tenders is 4.00pm, February 16th 2007. See www.ddda.ie for further details.

WIRELESS DUBLIN Dublin City may soon be blanketed with free wireless internet access in the tradition of cities like San Francisco if a proposed plan by Dublin City Council gets the go-ahead. Building a citywide network of Wi-Fi hotspots could cost between €12m and €20m. Eircom, Esat BT, Vodafone, O2 and Bitbuzz are already active in Ireland’s Wi-Fi arena, providing hotspots in hotels, airports and cafes on a paid-for basis. Eircom alone claims to have in excess of 1,000 public hotspots countrywide. A recent survey by UK telecoms regulator Ofcom revealed that Ireland has surprisingly the largest penetration of Wi-Fi hotspots per head of population in the world, with 18.3 hotspots per 1,000 people.

Dublin City Council The Parks and Landscape Services Division of Dublin City Council is inviting applications from Landscape Architectural Consultant ﬁrms for inclusion on a panel of Landscape Architectural Consultants. For further info see: parks@dublincity.ie. The latest date for submission of applications is 12 noon Monday 12th February 2007.

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Iris oifigiúil Institiúid Ailitirí Tírdhreacha na hÉireann, Geimhridh 2007

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For the ﬁrst time an International Garden Festival will be held this Summer at EMO Court County Laois. This festival is an opportunity for designers with fresh and novel ideas in design to express their vision for the times we live in as well as for the future. Emo Court house was designed by the architect James Gandon in 1790 for the Earls of Portarlington in the neo-classical style. The house is surrounded by gardens and parkland laid out in the 18th century and contain formal lawns, a lake and woodland walks. The Festival will be held on a 10 acre site overlooking the lake. There will be 16 exhibit gardens for visitors to walk through, complimented by the installation of sculptors and art forms in addition to a seminar area, restaurant, children’s play area and a country market. The festival will run for 14 weeks from 1 June to 9 September 2007. The Theme of the fesitval is ‘Roots’, a theme which has inspired diverse responses from the designers. The selection of the exhibit garden schemes has just been completed with designers from: Australia, US, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany, England, Poland and Ireland represented. One of the most successful gardens in last years festival in Chaumont-sur-Loire (France) will be re-built for the Emo festival as a garden speciﬁcally dedicated to Children. The garden

contains several 8 feet rolling air balls, the balls are free of any support and can be rolled by the children throughout the garden and the plants. Inspired by the success of similiar shows at Chaumont-surLoire in France and Metis in Canada, the International Garden Festival was set up by business woman and garden designer Rosaleen Flanagan. Ireland’s recent economic achievement has encouraged Rosaleen Flanagan to turn a dream into a reality. She believes that the Irish people will appreciate at this time an event that shows the best in international design for outdoor spaces and Emo House and Gardens as the perfect setting. The International Garden Festival was established with the following objectives in mind: • To promote excellent design for outdoor spaces that can be enjoyed and experienced by visitors to the Festival • To encourage people to visit the magniﬁcent venue that is Emo Court • To welcome visitors from all over Ireland and abroad to the centre of Ireland. The design and layout of the festival grounds is being designed Remi Salles Landscape Architects in association with Gosling Partnership ( Engineering ). For further information visit: www.igf.ie photo from Chaumont-sur-Loire by R Salles

The Official Journal of the Irish Landscape Institute, Winter 2007

News & events

I n t e r n ational Garden Festival - Emo 2007

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The Greener Side of Getting Around by Aisling Leahy Of the overwhelming numbers of school children been driven to school in Ireland, a majority, 66% in fact, would rather walk or cycle than be driven from A to B. It must be noted before the brain spirals overtime on the blame game here, that in fact our apparent insufﬁcient public transport system or the Irish rainy days are not the sole guilty parties. The desire to clog the peak time arteries of our urban conﬂuences is all part of an Irish ‘mammy culture’ we have all traditionally grown up within. The down side of this has meant ever growing health, safety, environmental and social impacts. For example, car dependency has almost doubled within the Greater Dublin Area in the last 10 years, with the effect of the average commuter journey increasing from 31 minutes in 1991 to 57 minutes in 2003. 1 in 5 children are overweight while 1 in 20 are obese. While over 63% of children are within 2 km of school & 40% within 1km, however only 25% walk and only 2% cycle to school. The Green Schools programme is an environmental learning resource initiative which promotes responsible behaviour among school children and the wider community and introduces participants to the concept of an environmental management system. Premised on the principle of sustainable development and Local Agenda 21 Green Schools currently has over 14,500 schools in 37 countries worldwide taking part in the programme

to transfer this knowledge into positive environmental action in the school and also in the wider community. Schools that have successfully completed all elements of the programme are awarded the Green Flag. This award, which has to be renewed every two years, has now become a well recognised Eco-label ensuring success of the programme. In Ireland, Green Schools is run by An Taisce, in conjunction with all 34 County and City Councils. The sustained success of the programme is testiﬁed by the fact over 63% of all primary, secondary and special schools that participate in the programme. The Irish Green Schools is among the most successful in Ireland. Of the 2,051 schools involved 65% have achieved Green Flag Status to date. Weblinks: www.eco-schools.org www.antaisce.org www.greenschoolsireland.org Aisling Leahy, holds a Masters Degree in Urban & Regional Planning from UCD and currently works in the Urban Design & Planning Unit of Murray O’ Laoire Architects, Dublin.

Central to the Green Schools initiative are the 4 themes; energy, waste, water and most recently, travel which is being run as a pilot programme in the Greater Dublin Area in conjunction with the Dublin Transport Office (DTO). The ultimate aim of the participating schools is to increase the number of pupils walking, cycling or using public transport to get to and from school, thus easing traffic congestion by reducing the number of private cars arriving at the school gates and also reducing the environmental impacts of the ‘school run’. Additional dividends will also include improvement of student health and fitness. While the application and success of this initiative lies with its participants, outside factors such as more integrated planning, urban design, traffic calming and road design and landscape design can contribute to creating greener and safer routes for getting around. Green Schools is coordinated on an international level by FEE (Federation of Environmental Education). Green Schools raises participant awareness of environmental issues through classroom studies encouraging the participating school children

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ILI KEY DATES ILI Professional Practice Exams April 2007 IFPRA World Congress, Dublin, Sep. 2007 IFLA World Congress, Malaysia Aug 27-31 ‘07

Iris oifigiúil Institiúid Ailitirí Tírdhreacha na hÉireann, Geimhridh 2007

LANDSCAPE I

Who’s getting around where? by Maureen Gilbert “It’s nice here, isn’t it?”, said the older woman, as we waited for an American folk singer from the sixties to come on stage in the Temple Bar Music Centre. “This place?”, I asked. “Yes, it’s OK”. “No, not here”, she replied, “Temple Bar. After all, it’s not often they let us come here, is it?”

modern Ireland – or anywhere else, for that matter. If it doesn’t engage with the real lived experience of the many kinds, ages and types of people who use a space, any resulting design is likely to alienate or even exclude a fair proportion of the people it is meant to beneﬁt. Whose needs are being served by design which seeks to educate or impress more than to comfort or raise

I’ve been thinking about that exchange ever since. To that older woman, the Temple Bar area (or should I say “quarter”?) was a place that belonged to younger people, a place that, though “nice”, could only be visited when a concert by a man of her own age gave her sanction or permission to venture in on a temporary visa. There might be no signs up telling her to keep out, but everything about the place – its design, its ambience, its usage – was telling her that she didn’t belong. One person’s welcome is a slammed door in the face of someone else.

a smile?

The encounter provoked a bigger question in me: for whom do designers design? Who do they think the clients are? What do they think those clients want? Questions like that tend to spawn broadly humanistic responses about how everybody is welcome and nobody means to shut anybody out. But reality doesn’t work like that. Consciously or unconsciously, with an eye to what wins international acclaim, designers tend to start by designing for People Like Us. The plebs will learn to love it in the end, of course. But People Like Us can’t possibly cover the vast range of identities and ways of engaging with and using outdoor space that mix and meld in

This is not at all to say that design should be a lowest common denominator hotch-potch of traditional favourites. Perish the thought. By contrast, it’s innovation that’s desperately needed, not another outing for the usual suspects. Older people may want places for exercise as well as rest and gossip. An exciting environment for teenage boys may be threatening to young women. People from other countries may engage with outdoor space in ways that don’t occur to people born here. What’s required is a design – and commissioning – process that takes account of the multiple experiences, requirements and identities of users and that doesn’t reduce them to stereotypes. Maureen Gilbert is an equality consultant. Maureen has edited Building for Everyone (1997 and 2002) and wrote Access Inside Out (2005) for DESSA (Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency). Her current work includes projects for the Equality Authority and supporting local authorities to meet the requirements of the Disability Act. Maureen couldn’t design an outdoor space if her life depended on it.

The Official Journal of the Irish Landscape Institute, Winter 2007

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An t-Eagarthóir Getting Around? We wandered lost her and I, We wandered lost in Machine Land …(anon) When selecting the theme Getting Around for this edition of LANDSCAPE IRELAND the editorial committee were initially prompted by the many transportation related landscape projects recently completed, in progress and imminent. From the many motorway projects to the successful introduction of the Luas light rail system in Dublin to the proposed Sutton to Sandycove pedestrian and cycle promenade. It was also intended that the theme would instigate an interrogation of the landscape impacts of such projects and to awaken a broad discussion and engagement amongst the landscape profession of the performance of the built environment with regard to accessibility. The phrase Getting Around is broad in its scope and has generated and inspired a diverse array of contributions, most revelationary perhaps the linkage of accessibility and inclusivity. Access and mobility are core to social and economic equity, if one can’t get around with relative ease, comfort and efﬁciency one is comparably disadvantaged, with reduced access to employment, services, markets, entertainment and recreation, with limited choice and limited opportunities. The editorial committee propose that considering the wide, insightful and at time impassioned and response to this edition, that a sequel will be merited. Especially considering the projected investment in transport infrastructure forecasted under the National

Development Plan with €17.6 billion to be spent on roads and €12.9 billion on public transport. In addition the recently adopted disability act has set new standards for accessibility in the built environment and will be further augmented by the anticipated revision of Part M of the building regulations. For the Landscape professions the present and now will be remediation. The built modern environment we inherit has many ﬂaws, the pedestrian and cyclist is largely a second class citizen. The landscape of the modern edge city is dominated by road infrastructure often conceived in ignorance of other urban design considerations, fundamental of which is the making of environments for people and not machines. The pedestrian in general is signiﬁcantly disadvantaged in getting around his/her environment, yet consider the disadvantage for the those with physical disabilities, the visually impaired, the elderly and young children, the vista is at times appalling. Getting around is more than an economic and social necessity it is a collection of recreational pursuits. Walking of varying levels of challenge (from hikes to strolls) is increasingly popular and in itself an immensely social and serendipitous activity. In the case of hill walking and rambling it ignites the debate of “whose landscape is it anyway” as broad popular appeal collides with land interests and legalistic intransigence.

The ‘Bull’ Mac Sharry’s home, Gleniff Valley County Sligo

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Iris oifigiúil Institiúid Ailitirí Tírdhreacha na hÉireann, Geimhridh 2007

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Despite current conﬂicts, as we attempt to redeﬁne the role of the countryside, walking and rambling will become an increasingly important layer of recreational infrastructure. As the historic imperitives of agricultural productivity are on the wane, a broader and ecologically informed approach is required for land management. Recreational planning of rural hinterlands will be key to sustaining vibrancy in rural areas by supporting communities in loci and by establishing meaningful, healthy and productive relationships with the urban populace. The seeds of such a movement are evident in the walking trails supported by the Sports Council of Ireland, the recently opened Nore river trail in County Kilkenny and the proposed South Dublin Hills Recreation Strategy. The here and now for sustainable urban development is rail. The legacy of road orientated urban planning and development has failed those that now suffer the 90 minute commutes and the general despondency of the road using public. The past half decade have seen a late but renewed momentum in rail oriented urban development, manifest most recently in the new towns and neighbourhoods of Adamstown, Pelletstown and Stapolin in the Dublin City area. The larger property developers and house builders are keenly aware of the ever increasing role of rail based public transport to achieving sustainable and saleable urban development and have in recent times been accumulating substantial land banks on the exiting and proposed commuter lines.

The making of new town such as Adamstown centred on new commuter rail station is no fleeting event but the future for accommodating the long term housing needs of a young and growing national population. It is conceivable that with the opening of commuter rail services in Cork (Mallow-Midleton) and Galway (Athenry/Tuam-Galway) that the making of new rail orientated towns will take hold outside of the Greater Dublin Area. Such new town development provide exciting and challenging opportunities for the landscape professions to ‘place-make’ on a whole new scale and to have a more profound and early influence in the shaping of the built environment through landscape planning and master planning. In meeting new and future challenges there is an opportunity for the landscape professions to champion the accessibility and inclusivity agendas, to be expert in the full spectrum of mobility, cognisant of the conflicts inherent in transport modes and enlightened in solutions and strategies to overcome such conflicts. We would respectfully submit that it is incumbent on the Landscape Professions to adopt accessibility for all and social inclusivity as a core ethos to define what we do and who we are. Afterall, the act of getting around and the first tracks worn by Humankind across the wilderness, are these not the first primitive marks of the cultural landscape?

The Wicklow Way, Djoice, County Wicklow

The Official Journal of the Irish Landscape Institute, Winter 2007

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Timber fence to the edge of the Drumartin Link Road, Sandyford.

Highways + Dislocation The footprint the M50 Motorway has had a dramatic impact on the urban fabric of the greater Dublin area, affecting residential communities in the Fingal, South Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council areas in particular. In June of 2005 commuters welcomed the opening of the ﬁnal South Eastern Motorway (SEM) section of the M50 motorway from Ballinteer to the N11. Completing the M50 ‘C’ ring the SEM cut travelling time from the N7 to the N11 by 20 minutes outside of peak times. The controversies which preceded (Carrickmines Castle) its opening are now largely forgotten, and subsequent widening to add an additional lane in each direction as far as the Sandyford has already begun. As a project Landscape Architect appointed by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council the brief I had was to manage the landscape contracts which covered both the route of the SEM in addition to many new linkroads and residential areas that were affected by the construction works. A Landscape Masterplan had been prepared for the motorway from planning and EIS to tender stage.

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Implementing the Landscape works on the mainline of the motorway presented many unique challenges; the usual infrastructure and services issues made more extreme by working on a ‘live’ motorway. Health and Safety concerns were to the fore. Regular meetings with local residents unearthed another range of issues. These ranged from light spill from the lighting on the motorway, traffic noise, inadequate pathways and circulation routes, inadequate parking for users of the Luas (light rail) in addition to the addressing the residual land-take or ‘leftover’ spaces from the motorway and link roads. Ballinteer and Carrickmines are two areas which are significantly affected by the road lighting and light spill from the motorway. These areas sit in a ‘cut’ where the motorway rises up to 15m above ground level. Light spill from traffic will in time be mitigated when planting on the embankments matures. However pollution from 20 -30m high light standards cannot be mitigated by any landscape intervention. Noise walls of shuttered reinforced concrete though visually unappealing were incorporated along the route of the motorway.

Iris oifigiúil Institiúid Ailitirí Tírdhreacha na hÉireann, Geimhridh 2007

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They however do not appear to be as affective in mitigating noise pollution as hoped. Further noise tests are being carried out to monitor their effectiveness. Requests for additional ‘mature’ planting have been received from residents to alleviate the poor visual quality of their new boundaries, which may once have been a woodland edge or hedgerow. Whilst improving national and regional transport linkages the M50 has conversely impacted negatively on connectivity and circulation at the local scale. An issue that has generated criticism from local residential groups. In the Sandyford area following the construction of the Drummartin Link Road only one access point has been provided through an entire length of timber fencing for pedestrians travelling to the nearest Luas Station. Existing pathways were removed, and established access points were cut off by the timber fence, severing the shortest and pre-established route. As a result panels in the fence have been kicked through. This ‘left-over’ space has thus invited regular antisocial activity and vandalism as an established planted edge prevents passive surveillance from the adjoining housing and the wooden fence prevents surveillance from the road edge. The ‘left-over’ space described is also a future road reservation for the widening of the Drummartin Link Road for such a time when the Eastern By Pass Plans get the go ahead. The Luas Station access at Sandyford is situated just off the Drummartin Link Road. The provision of car ‘park & ride’ facilities for Luas customers is inadequate. As a result the surrounding housing estates up to 0.5km away are now used as de-facto park and rides during the day. ‘Left-over spaces’ pose environmental problems that require remediation. In a few instances these spaces are identiﬁed as future road reservations, where they may adjoin a local residential area, and to the uninformed would appear to be ‘open space’

but they are not. They do not merit substantial investment until a decision is made about their future use and as a result can become a vacuum for the most extreme ‘anti-social’ activity: joyriding, illegal dumping, dirt biking, drug dealing. Other ‘grey areas’ are those that resulted from last minute changes on the alignment of the motorway. For example a noise wall is moved a few metres off its original location creating a land locked linear space about 6 or 7 metres wide which in turn backs onto the rear wall of a housing estate. Locals are promised ‘tree planting’, trees are planted, trees are vandalised. Antisocial activity increases, dumping becomes the norm. A vicious cycle ensues. For this landscape architect, the experience outlined above has left more questions than answers in relation to the whole process of infrastructure planning. While the “Common Good” is a generally accepted concept supporting planning and development, should this kind of dislocation in a local community be acceptable? It raises wider questions about the EIA process at the project delivery end - who evaluates the ﬁnished product and the actual (rather than predicted) impacts on the environments? Who corrects mistakes made? The process is irreversible in practical terms so perhaps we need to have some safeguards in place to protect community and environment alike. Perhaps some of the negative impacts that have been discussed could have been avoided if a more integrated urban/landscape design led approach had been taken to the design of the motorway in totality. Designing out the left-over spaces and problem areas that have since arisen, and better considering the implications of the motorway for connectivity at the local scale. After all these are communities where people live and where people want to walk about in a safe and pleasant environment. text and photos by: Margaret Egan MILI

‘de-facto’ park and ride in a housing estate.

The Official Journal of the Irish Landscape Institute, Winter 2007

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G e t t i n g

A r o u n d

t h e

C i t y

text and photos by Tony Williams From an evolutionary point of view locomotion was probably one of the next functions that organisms evolved after ingestion and reproduction. Think of the single cell amoeba and its ability to move around and negotiate obstacles. In terms of getting around in our cities the hierarchy of locomotion should be (in order of priority) Pedestrians and Cyclists (grouped in one category), public transport, delivery vehicles and ﬁnally cars. The lowest in this hierarchical system, i.e the car is at present the highest in terms of priority in our cities.

The 12 criteria for a quality public realm are presented in tabular form and involve a checklist of the key elements of the streetscape. As designers we should then address the various elements of the streetscape to ensure the ﬁnal design is ‘humanised’. The criteria are categorised as providing • • •

Protection Comfort Enjoyment.

The work of Gehl and Gemzoe is based on the fact that we have some basic needs in order to feel safe in our environment. The principles are all about these needs and humanising the streetscape. DESIGNING/DETAILING PUBLIC SPACES A KEY WORK CHECKLIST

Walking Bipedal motion usually refers to travel by foot and in physical or biomechanical terms may be described as ‘controlled falling’. From an energy perspective, getting around by walking or cycling would seem to be the most efﬁcient and in this form of motion we are skilled at moving en-masse. Trafﬁc jams involving people usually only occur at obstacles such as the door to the theatre/ cinema or the assembly and entrance to large sporting events. In terms of the design of the public realm, the pedestrian should be at the centre of our urban design and in cities and areas where this is so we have a public realm which is generally considered to be quality urban public space. The principles of Gehl and Gemzoe are helping to establish the design criteria for a good quality public realm and in tandem with the principles of ‘shared space’ (see below) are placing the pedestrian at the centre of the design of cities and public spaces.

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P R O T E C T I O N

1. Protection Protectionagainst against traffic and traffic andaccidents accidents -- traffic trafficaccidents accidents -- fear fearofoftraffic traffic - other accidents - other accidents

2. Protection against crime and violence (feelign of safety) - lived in / used - streetlife - streetwalkers - overlapping functions in space and time

3. Protection against unpleasant experiences - wind / draft - rain / snow - cold / heat - pollution - dust, glare, noise

C O M F O R T

4.Possibilities for walking - room for walking - interesting facades - network of routes - no obstacles - good surfaces

5. Possibilities for staying - attractive edges ‘edge effect’ - deﬁned spots for staying - supports for staying

6. Possibilities for sitting - zones for sitting - maximising advantages for primary and secondary sitting possibilities - benches for resting

7. Possibilites to see - seeing distances - unhindered views - interesting views - lighting (when dark)

8.Possibilities for hearing / talking - low noise levels - bench arrangements ‘talkscapes’

9. Possibilities for play / unfolding / activities - invitation to physical activities, play, unfolding and entertainment - day + night, summer + winter

10. Scale - dimensions of buildings and spaces in observance of the important human dimensions related to sense, movement, size and behaviour

11. Possibilities for enjoying positive aspect of climate - sun / shade - warmth / coolness - breeze / ventilation

12. Aesthetic quality positive sense experiences - good design and good detailing - views / vistas - trees, plants, water

E N J O Y M E N T

12 criteria for public realm design by Gehl and Gemzoe

Iris oifigiúil Institiúid Ailitirí Tírdhreacha na hÉireann, Geimhridh 2007

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‘On yer bike’ The provision of cycle lanes in our cities is improving but as a cyclist I feel the provision is quite poor in most situations. Inconsiderate design and inadequate maintenance add to what is already a haphazard and incomplete cycleway infrastructure. The photographs below show the placement of the footing of a trafﬁc light in the middle of a cycle lane, albeit a poorly marked one (the marking on the footpath are missing).

The photograph below is of inappropriate reinstatement of the cyclelane (and carriageway) after services have been laid. This is an ever increasing problem in our streets.

These principles are informing streetscape design in many countries and have resulted in schemes such as Kensington High Street in London, the principles of ‘Verkiersbordfrij’ or ‘traffic sign free’ principles in Holland and to a lesser extent O Connell Street. A ‘lesser extent’ as the principle requires that private vehicular traffic is minimised vehicular traffic, public transport is encouraged and pedestrian crossing is prioritised. O’Connell Street still regularly has traffic jams as private vehicular traffic though discouraged is not eliminated. Though it is not eliminated in Kensington high Street it is minimised by the effects of congestion charging which has reduced the incidence of private car use to the most urgent trips. The complete removal of traffic may not be possible from our cities but should certainly be redirected where possible. Improving the pedestrian realm The photograph below is of Kensington High Street and describes some of the interventions. Though early days, the traffic figures show a reduction in pedestrian and vehicular accidents. Though statistically this cannot be proven until three years results are analysed, the initial results are encouraging. Interventions such as these improve the pedestrian realm and the streetscape by the removal of unsightly (and possibly unnecessary) pedestrian barriers.

Kensington High Street

The principles of good cycle lanes are considered part of the duties of our road engineers but they appear to either neglect the cyclist or apply the principles in a haphazard manner. This is again one of the areas which we as landscape architects need to get involved. Shared the Streetscape with Cars Shared space principles are being applied in a number of European Cities to deal with the ‘conﬂict’ between cars and other modes of transport and it is a practice which appears to be working from a numbers of points of view.

The philosophy behind these changes is based on risk compensation which is part of the study of Ethology or behaviour. ‘In ethology, risk compensation is an effect whereby individual animals may tend to adjust their behaviour in response to perceived changes in risk. It is seen as self-evident that individuals will tend to behave in a more cautious manner if their perception of risk or danger increases. Another way of stating this is that individuals will behave less cautiously in situations where they feel “safer” or more protected.....’

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The logical conclusion of this theory has been reached with these ‘shared space principles’ (originally promoted by Herr Mondermann, a road/traffic engineer in Holland) and many initiatives have been piloted in Denmark and the Netherlands since the 1990’s and now being adopted elsewhere in Europe and North America. Significant safety benefits have been claimed due to the complete removal of street furniture and signage from urban environments. This has the effect of offering a less regulated public realm and the consequent effect of requiring all users to take more care.

Pedestrian ‘surge’ on Dublin’s O’Connell bridge

In pedestrian simulation software, some of the principles of urban design may be explored yielding some design guidelines for significant public spaces. Agent based pedestrian simulation uses software (based on complex algorithms) to predict or describe possible pedestrian behaviour. The ‘agent’ in this case is the individual pedestrian and many agents make up the simulated ‘crowd’. Each ‘agent’ may be given a profile and this can include programming their behaviour. One such behaviour which is not exclusive to Dublin,is the ‘surge’. In Dublin the ‘surge’ pedestrian traffic is particularly evident at O’Connell Street and worth observing as it is a cauldron of pedestrian (and vehicular) behaviour. This ‘surge’ is due to the assembly of pedestrians at signalised junctions and their ‘surge’ forward in advance of the lights changing. A sudden rush of pedestrians is the result.

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To involve ourselves in the redesign of the streetscape will require us to become familiar with the techniques and principles of the trafﬁc engineer and in particular their use of the Road Safety Audit (RSA). The use of the RSA in tandem with design risk assessment is the route by which interventions may be made with the primary concern being the safety of the streetscape. The underlying principle is not aesthetics but safety (but improved aesthetics can be a consequence). Mass transit

Pedestrian crossing route versus pedestrian desire line

The movement of pedestrians within the streetscape is of particular importance to landscape architects and of especial interest in providing mass transit systems in cities. Passengers of mass transit systems start and ﬁnish their journey as pedestrians (and cyclists in some cities such as Berlin where the bicycle is allowed in the metro). It is therefore a signiﬁcant aspect of the design of the location and arrangement of light rail stops and the entrance and egress points for metro.

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Buses form an important aspect of the mass transit system within our cities and there is a need in our cities for more integration between the various modes of transport and particularly the interchange between modes. As our roads may be described as ‘rivers of traffic’ so our movement within the public realm may be described in terms of ‘desire lines’. The provision of crossing points across major carriageways is particularly fraught with difficulty and is one of the situations that requires stronger consideration. The provision of the crossing point should make sense by a process involving the observation of the preferred destination of those crossing. A new ‘Streets Manual for Dublin’ has been mooted and if adopted by all disciplines may place the bipedal forms of locomotion as being the most efficient means of transport and the streetscape can then be designed using some or all of the principles discussed within this article. The adoption of these manuals are not guaranteed and requires us as designers to demand that these principles be adopted. Design of Tram Stops and Metro Access. Being involved in the design of the stop environment and/or access arrangements for Metro, some of the principles discussed above come into play. In addition, one of the more important is the principle of Fruin levels (or comfort levels) which may be used in assessing the impact of large volumes of people arriving at stops and dispersing from stops. The circulation is assessed in terms of

its effect on the existing circulation and this assists the detailed design of the stop within the urban (and suburban) environment. The physical environment surrounding the stop is a major factor in the circulation and the hierarchy is to have a stop within a public plaza whereas the lowest would be with an adjacent carriageway. To ensure comfortable movement of pedestrians, the minimum space per person should be of the order of 1 metre squared per person and anything less is to be viewed as crowded’. Of course within a city streetscape this may be in actuality about 0.8 metre squared per person. This can form the basis for a mathematical approach to the provision of pedestrian areas based on their expected use. Conclusion We as landscape architects need to engage fully in what is ultimately a multi-disciplinary approach to ensure our cities and surroundings are legible through appropriate use of surfacing and the provision of high quality paved areas, and that the quality of such interventions are to a very high standard. There is much debate at present about the use of a new streetscape manual and we should certainly keep our eye on this space. Weblinks: www.shared-space.org Tony Williams is a Landscape Architect with the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) where he has worked on LUAS and Metro projects in Dublin.

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U r b a n i s m

a n d

Dublin Commuter Belt 1990’s

Dublin Commuter Belt 1980’s

Lateral expansion of the Dublin Commuter Belt

R o a d

D e s i g n

The path is the first discernable and patterned form or mark made by man in the wilderness. Many of those most ancient paths are still trod today. Hence it states the obvious to say that roads have and will continue to have a profound influence on our cultural landscape and built environment, just as the great technological leaps of canals and rail-lines at their zenith profoundly reorientated human settlement patterns and commerce . All leave paths and transport modes leave their mark on the geography of the island, confined not only to their physical impression but also in their catalytic impacts. By changing the means of getting around we fundamentally shift our perspective of landscape and time. What were once distant are now connected. While the influence of canal and rail on the landscape are somewhat neatly defined understood by time and nostalgiacally packaged, the influence of motorised road based transport is still at approaching its zenith beyond our horizon. It could be said road transportation is the single greatest influence on our contemporary patterns of settlement and socio-economic activity. Motorised transport permits mobility, choice and geographic flexibility unprecedented in the history of human settlement. A degree of mobility unprecedented in its relative accessibility to the greater majority of the population. A new mobility which is constantly re-shaping our geographic concepts of the possible and dissolving what are now redundant boundaries of city, town and countryside. Rural is predominantly now a state of mind versus a way of living. We live in an era where the 90 minute commute is no longer exceptional Today we talk about the geographical commodities of regions and economies: fluid and connected realms of movement and occupation, unbounded and multiplicitious. The Irish Planning system recognised the new reality of changing settlements and economic patterns with the introduction of the Regional Planning Guidelines under the 2000 Planning and Development Act.

Portobello Bridge Dublin, morning rush-hour negotiated co-existence of vehicular trafﬁc, pedestrians and cyclists

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The private car will perhaps have had the greatest inﬂuence on the look and feel of the Irish landscape than any other human innovation since the enclosure of agricultural lands and the potato. Just as the potato had a profound inﬂuence on the population and settlement of the island 18th and 19th century Ireland leading to surge in population on the marginal lands of the western seaboard and in upland areas, today it is the motorised vehicles that will provides the mechanism for sustaining the contemporary population in those locations peripheral locations.

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Road infrastructure has been the dominant driver in the emerging form of our towns and cities during the past half century. The linear provincial towns that crept along the route of main roads, incremental ribbon development, dispersal and sprawl and as such this describes the non-planned or ad-hoc settlement. The great arced lines of suburban collectors, distributor roads, relief roads, are unmistakable signiﬁers of the pre-eminence of road mobility in the design of our built environment, often to the detriment of all others concerns. The terminology of road engineering (collector, distributors, relief, by-pass) are more redolent of sewers, piping and emergency heart surgery, than the root and branch structure for modern living. Perhaps within this lies a paradigmatic problem of conceiving transport infrastructure in problem solving and utilitarian values alone and not as holistic parts of another larger inhabited environment. The cuts and boundaries in the landscape created by road construction reﬂect the vehicular performance issues such as; design speed, vertical alignment, horizontal alignment.

3.0 friends per person - 6.3 acquiantances

light trafﬁc

1.3 friends per person - 4.1 acquiantances

moderate trafﬁc

0.9 friends per person - 3.1 acquiantances

heavy trafﬁc

Today society broadly accepts the negative impacts of combustion engines and carbon emissions on our environment and climate change and it is conceivable that within a generation the energy of mobility may be overhauled to utilise environmentally benign technologies. However we will still have to cope with the spatial impacts of roads and vehicles, and the safety of road users. Road Safety Road safety in Ireland has improved greatly over the past 30 years or more from 1972 when 640 we’re killed in road collisions to 2006 when the equivalent figure was 368. Considering the subsequent growth in the national population (2.97million in 1971 to 4.2million in 2006) and the exponential growth in car ownership the decrease is even more impressive despite this road accidents and road mortality are to the fore in public discussion and daily news reporting. Perhaps in itself a reflection on the relatively peaceful and politically stable society we live in, where the violence and carnage of a road traffic accident is both shocking and unacceptable, yet imminent and also close to our everyday life experience. It is therefore incumbent on the built environment professions of engineering, urban design, planning, architecture and landscape architecture to reflect on their capacities and roles in addressing road safety, and what are life and death issues. Urbanism versus road design There is an inherent conflict and paradox between road design and urbanism. Urbanism is essentially about living together. It

Relationship of acquiantances and trafﬁc ﬂows on San Fransisco streets Adapted from Appleyard and Lintell (1972)

is about the design and management of human habitat to be functional, comfortable, inviting and inspiring. Urbanism manifest in cities requires the negotiated co-existence of multiple human activities; work, learning, play and living. Paths and roads have been through history the blueprint, circuitry and lifeforce of all cities. Urbanism celebrates the street as the interface and stable co-existence of movement and occupation, of public and private domains. Road design however promotes a diverging view of the world, a view that is almost exclusively concerned with the speed, safety and capacity for vehicular movement, concepts which are quantitative and measurable. Road design is generally intent on streamlining conditions and risk minimisation. The order and language of road systems is coded and predictable: a hierarchy of colours; blue motorways, green national roads, Ns, Ms and Rs, junction numbers and junctions arms, icon signage, speed limits. This contrasts with the evolved intuitive mind mapping method by which humans naturally relate to their environment; making memories, seeking visual cues, deductive thinking. Road

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A model for multi-modal super-highways

design is largely divorced from such concepts, relying heavily on codes and hierarchy. Urbanism promotes virtues of multiplicitious cities that are diametrically opposite to the engineered approach to road design. It is to the dismay of urbanists that road design should have such a heavy inﬂuence on the nature of contemporary cities and the belief that a more integrated and holistic approach to settlement and mobility would make a greater contribution to reducing road casualties, than a road design based solution alone. An urbanist perspective on mobility The urbanist is not hedonistically dismissive of the imperative of road mobility to sustaining commerce and the contemporary way of life. It is the perspective of the urbanist that efﬁcient and robust networks of mobility can be sustained without prejudicing the comfort and function of cities as human habitat.

Manhattan Grid based on the Commissioner’s plan of 1811 highly permeable network, system of one way streets running east-west and two ways avenues north-south.

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The urbanist promotes robust versus rigid transport networks. That within all mobility systems there should be choices and alternatives, choices between modes of transportation and the routes available. The mobility systems of modern cities should be capable of accommodating journey growth and have a tolerance for unforeseen yet predictable events (such as trafﬁc accidents). The urbanist promotes a lattice/grid versus arboreal/pulmonary mobility structures which are too vulnerable at key arteries and trunks to complete malfunction (as has been experienced on two occasions over the preceding months on Dublin’s M50 and the N11). It is the thesis of the urbanist that mobility and all transport modes must be considered and designed holistically (joined up thinking). Why is that in Dublin one can’t attach a bicycle to a bus, that there are so few east-west bus routes. The urbanist is concerned with human safety and health collectively versus the

Barcelona Grid based Cerda’s 1859 plan for the expansion of Barcelona Square block (113 metres wide) structure of the grid gives equal priority to north - south and east-west movement.

Iris oifigiúil Institiúid Ailitirí Tírdhreacha na hÉireann, Geimhridh 2007

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predominance in the design of the built environment to reducing traffic risk and maintaining the dominance of vehicular mobility. It is an imperative of Great cities that they are easy to get around. The mobility system should bring the entire city region within reach of efficient, comfortable and frequent public transport. Great cities should be great to walk and cycle around and yes great cities should be safe and comfortable to drive around. The social costs of cities built around car transportation are many. One of the major causes of road traffic acidents after speeding and alcohol is driver fatigue. Fatigue caused by inevitably long commutes and long journey times and the lack of choice between driving and othe transport modes. The social cost of lost time spent in traffic and the accompanying stress, alienation and frustration. The ecocomic cost of lost time and inefficiencies. In summary the profound misplacement of human potential. Principle of Mobility and Urbanism The following discourse puts forward a set of sketch concepts and design principles for mobility in urban planning and design as a contribution to re-establishing a more mutually acceptable balance of mobility and occupation, of car and city, of people and machines. Perhaps what is put forward could form a basis for a new urban contract for mobility and settlement, a contract future proofed for growth and changing circumstances. The urbanist submits that mobility should be considered with longer 100-200 year horizons, as oppose to the prevalent trend to for short to medium term projections (10-20 year).

Ranelagh - Rathmines Dublin Movement network evolved from radial routes from city centre with the later introduction of new east- west links. Overall a coarse modestly permeable network.

Regional networks All future motorway corridors should make provision for and/or incorporate public transport corridors, pedestrian routes and cycle routes and room for lateral expansion of road space. Motorways should provide opportunities for enhancing and extending pedestrian and cycle networks. Every motorway built without a public transport corridor has been an easy and cost effective opportunity missed to provide new high speed and high capacity public transport routes. Imagine if the M50 had incorporated enough space for a commuter rail-line; it would be Metro-West made easy. A high speed connection to Dublin Airport integrated with all the radial and road and rail routes into and out of the city. City networks The essence of cites if gathering and connecting people. Mobility networks within cities should be efﬁcient, robust and adaptable, offering choice and alternatives. The grid/lattice network approach to city design has proven historically to be the most easily adaptable and enduring, and a better model for accommodating the unforeseen than the arboreal/pulmonary models; that in time may require relief roads and by-passes. This is not to say that cities should be laid out on rigid grid plans which can often be perceived as monotonous and overwhelming, but that the mobility networks of cities should be grid-like with extensive coverage and choice of routes. Cities at eye level should be legible and navigable as oppose to disorientating. The choice of routes, intersections and mobility interchanges in a city should be frequent and regular and designed and located on the basis of comfortable pedestrian accessibility and catchment. Grids by their structure are also highly permeable and allow for

Knocknacarragh Galway Planned residential area from 1980’s to present. Residential estates based on arboreal networks of ‘cul-de sacs’, connected by a system of Distributor Roads. A rigid and impermeable movement network

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a greater degree of unanticipated journey choices, interactions, movements and exchanges amongst the population of the city. At the scale of the street. At the scale of the street we suggest a little less room for vehicles, a little more room for pedestrians, cyclists and outdoor activity; such as children’s play and casual neighbourhood interactions. The regeneration of the Ballymun social housing complex in Dublin exemplifies what can be achieved in applying such principles. On primary through routes the road carriageway width is minimised, this along with the presence of regular onstreet parking spaces and driveway entrances discourages high speeds and permits easier crossing of the street by pedestrians; this of course does not necessarily prejudice the efficiency of the street as a through route for traffic. At the lower end of the urban hierarchy, shared surfaces are applied in courtyard situations; here the courtyard is presented as a pedestrian environment with a single undifferentiated surface treatment for vehicular access and parking, and pedestrian access. We promote the concept of shared surfaces where viable from the perspective of mobility and human safety; such as residential streets and courtyards and even within the traffic calmed environments of office and university campuses. The benefits of a shared surface approach are: The street surface is reclaimed as social space. A place safe for children to play and neighbours to converse. More efficient land utilisation as less room is used for road surfaces and pedestrian circulation. The street surface is signified as a pedestrian

Ranelagh Village Dublin Signal controlled pedestrian crossings lcoated at 80-150 metre intervals

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surface, encouraging vehicle drivers to proceed with a higher degree of caution. The dimensions of the street can be narrower, providing where desirable a greater degree of enclosure and deﬁnition of the public urban realm.

The shared surface street is a vogue concept in urban design, but is not entirely new. There are some examples of shared surface streets to be found in the residential suburbs of Dublin constructed during the early 20th century; such as Mount Brown in Kilmainham and the Bulfin Estate in Inchicore. On busier routes where for reasons of mobility efficiency and human safety, pedestrian, cyclists and vehicles require a high degree of separation, signalised pedestrian crossings should be provided at frequent and regular intervals. Poorly located and infrequent pedestrian crossings can lead to long waiting times for pedestrians to cross roads. Long waits and inconvenient crossings are counter –productive as they discourage walking as a mode and as a result of pedestrian frustration discourage the safe crossing of roads at designated points. We would submit that pedestrian crossings should be provided across roads at intervals of 80-150 metres. Such frequency should not be an impediment to efficient vehicle mobility considering the traffic lights could be sequenced to activate simultaneously, allowing for the needs of through vehicular and cycle traffic. At street intersection / junctions on busy routes signalised pedestrian crossings should be provided on all arms of the

Mount Brown Dublin Historic precedent for a shared surface residential Street

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junction, as oppose to the ‘C’ conﬁguration of crossings common on road junctions in Ireland, where one arm of a four armed junction will have no pedestrian crossing; thereby requiring safety conscious pedestrians to potentially cross three roads to cross one.

This article is based on the proceedings of a conference paper prepared by the Urban Design and Planning Unit of Murray Ó Laoire Architects delivered at the Institute of Transport and Highway Engineers Conference ‘Playing our Part’, Tullamore, October 26th 2006.

In order to encourage the maximum number of journeys in cities by foot, the location of pedestrian road crossings should respect the inherent pedestrian desire lines and minimise the travel distance for pedestrians.

Project Team:

Aisling Leahy Daibhí Mac Domhnaill Vidhya Mohankhumar Seán Ó Laoire

When we consider the obstacles, inconveniences and deterents experienced by the pedestrian in moving through the city they are difficulties experienced by all pedestrians regardless of health or ability. Greater still the dismay when we consider the difficulties experienced by those citizens with a physical disability or adults in the company of young children, for whom the modern city can be truly difficult to get around.

Additional Graphic support by:

Maoiliosa Kiely Jesus Lopez

Below and right Urban Design Framework for expansion of a vilage in North County Dublin based on a network of one way shared surface streets (shown as blue lines on plan) by Murray O Laoire

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HUMANISING THE URBAN EXPERIENCE by Aidan J. ffrench MILI, President ILI Account of impressions from a conference attended at the Krakow University of Technology, Poland 9-10 November 2006 It was a pleasure to visit the wonderful city of Krakow – a UNESCO world heritage site – en route to the EFLA General Assembly in Brussels last November. It seems Central Europe is coming alive with opportunities for landscape architects and fellow environmental professionals to contribute to the design of urban landscapes. Putting people at the centre of urban design was the general theme of this excellent, timely event. Timely, because of the need to spread the message that healing our sprawling cities is at the heart of converging ideas on place making among grassroots activists in Europe and North America. In a partnership of seven n.g.o’s, two took the lead as conference organisers. New York - based Project for Public Spaces (PPS) who have gained a worldwide reputation for training and advocacy over 30 years and ‘Living City’, based in the Netherlands who run an environmental knowledge network The ﬁrst day of the conference considered the proposition, ‘What if We Built Our Cities Around Places? The Placemaking Approach’. Speaking to an audience of landscape architects, greenspace managers, management consultants, architects and environmental activists - Fred Kent, President of PPS led the way with a call to arms for ‘zealous nuts’. This is his pioneering slogan for those obsessed enough to live and spread the message that placemaking is an art form, strongly underpinned by sound research. Hailing William H. (Holly) Whyte as his inspiration, Fred outlined how Whyte’s groundbreaking sociological research in the ‘60’s, lead him and others – including lawyers and scientists - to establish PPS in 1970. The ergonomics of street life at mirco level found echos in Lars

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Gemzoe who spoke on the second day of this conference. Gemzoe was strongly complimented by Kent for his championing of the placemaking concept in Europe. The ILI had the pleasure of hosting Lars when he presented a paper at our conference ‘Sustaining Interest’ during March of 2006. Focusing on transportation and access, Gil Penalosa, Executive Director of ‘Walk & Bike for Life’ – Kent’s “ultimate zealous nut” – gave an inspiring exposition of placemaking in action in Columbia and Canada, ‘Shared Space: Creating Communities by Changing our Traffic. Clearly enjoying his moniker, Penalosa excelled as a practiced conference performer in extolling the value of holistic thinking through action at managerial level. He believes that quality of fife is the most important element of economic competitiveness. “To attract and retain highly creative and educated people is the greatest challenge of economic development”. He sees well designed, programmed public spaces as a practical means for attracting such people. Equally conscious of the need for equal access to recreational facilities, Penalosa is keenly aware of the critical role public space can play in promoting public health. He quoted Mark Dessauer, (Active Living by Design New York Times, Feb. 14, 2006), “Kids today are better at running a software program than running a mile. They seem to have stronger thumbs than legs”, pointing to the need to get teenagers involved in physical exercise. Pubic health officials, concerned about rising levels of teenage obesity and diabetes in Ireland, would find in Penalosa’s message, a recipe for practical preventative measures. Penalosa has demonstrated this ability to convert conservative city officials and engineers to the health benefits of treating streets as living places. In Bogota, Colombia, where his brother is mayor and more recently in Mississauga, Toronto, Gil has pioneered ‘car-

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free Sundays’, when roads are closed and given over to the public for a wide-ranging recreational activities, including cycling, walking, skating events and yoga. Surely some lessons here for city administrators in Ireland! ‘Proving by doing’ was also the message from Dutch management consultant, Gerrit Jan van’t Veen, founder of Living City. He is a creative process manager who turns difficult analyses into practical plans. Day one concluded with a city tour of Krakow, lead by the erudite Professor Wojciech Kosinski, a scholar and designer in urbanism and architecture. Meandering among a maze of side streets off the renowned medieval square, Rynek Glowny, Kosinskil took us to to Kaziemierc, the old Jewish quarter. This was once a separate town with its own distinctive culture and character. Much of that is retained as Kaziemierc emerges as resurgent café, student quarter, with a slightly Bohemian flavour. This part of the tour was poignant being reminded of the legacy of the Holocaust and a visit to Auschwitz only the previous day. As dusk fell over the professor explained how Jews have returned to the quarter, repossessing their lost properties and contributing to a unique place. Conclusions In the current climate of concern for the sustainability of the planet, the actors in the conference are pointing to a new horizon. They are living Einstein’s belief that “The problems that we created cannot be solved by the same thinking that created them”. I came away from this conference with an abiding confidence in the human capacity to learn from past mistakes through a radical shift in how people can influence the shaping of their urban environment. Moreover, I was reminded that those professionals who are truly committed to urban ideals can best serve that ideal by being servant leaders to the public.

The lessons of this conference finds ready applications in an Irish context, where there’s a desperate need for political leadership in delivering a higher qualify of life in the public realm. How often have we heard the cry, “There should be a place close to home where I can take my kids to play.” Though the specifics vary, a steady current runs beneath the surface of what people say. It’s the same desire for shared, public places that has shaped human settlements since the first cities were built. In an Irish context, the upcoming General Election is an opportunity for environmental professionals to voice their demands for investment in public spaces. The ILI is actively involved in political lobbying through the Urban Forum, a collaboration between the professional institutes representing planners, architects, engineers, surveyors and landscape architects. Watch out for the Forum’s forthcoming press conference, which will launch its General Election Manifesto. The Manifesto calls on the political parties to take a number of actions concerning spatial planning, urban design and landscape architecture in the next programme for government. Further information: • www.pps.org • www.levende-stad.nl • www.Greenways.pl • www.epce.org.pl • www.walkandbikeforlife.com Haling William H. Whyte ‘The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces’ Kathy Madden, Vice-President of PPS will be a keynote speaker at the IFPRA (International Federation of Parks + Recreation Administration) World Congress in Dublin Sept. 2007. See www. ifpraworlddublin.ie/

Photos of Auschwitz by A J ffrench

Street performers Krakow photo by A J ffrench

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Practice Proﬁle T H E B I

E Castle Market, Dublin

Established: Director:

2004 Dan Egan BA (Hons) Land Arch, MSc Spatial Planning, MLI

Senior Landscape Architect: Telmo Andrade BSc Land Arch MSc Regional Planning & Sustainable Development Landscape Architects: Joanna Penkala MSc Land Arch Adrian Gocko MSc Land Arch Miroslaw Nyczyk MSc Land Arch Address:

The Courtyard Streamstown Malahide Co. Dublin

The big space is a multi-disciplinary landscape architecture and environmental planning practice. The practice is concerned with providing a considered and appropriate design response in a rapidly changing urban and rural environment. The practice serves both the public and private sector, specialising in the key areas of: Landscape Planning: (within the development management process) including environmental studies, visual impact assessment, landscape character assessment, and masterplan feasibility studies. Landscape Design and Contract Implementation: including strategic and concept design, design of the public realm, detail design of hard and soft landscape, preparation of working drawings and site supervision. Previously an Associate with Brady Shipman Martin, Dan Egan has been involved in a broad range of landscape design/ planning, re-generation and environmental projects for over 13 years, both in the UK and Ireland having graduated from Edinburgh College of Art. Dan has continued to expand and diversify his skills base and in 2000 completed the Diploma in

Swords Business Campus

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Iris oifigiúil Institiúid Ailitirí Tírdhreacha na hÉireann, Geimhridh 2007

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Castle Market, Dublin

Private Residence, Mespil Rd, Dublin

Physical Planning at Trinity. College and in 2002 completed the MSc in Spatial Planning.

Relevant experience in urban design/streetscape and landscape developments within current projects include:

Telmo Andrade joined the Big Space from Biodesign, a landscape architecture, planning and environmental office based in Lisbon. With 9 years professional experience as a landscape architect, Telmo brings a wealth of design flair and expertise with strong European influences. During this period, Telmo has been responsible for a wide range of landscape design projects including urban parks, tourist resorts/hotels, town planning as well as urban renewal projects throughout Europe.

Swords Business Campus Castle Market streetscape proposals Oughterard town expansion Cuisine de France Corporate Headquarters Horgan’s Quay, Cork Pelletstown Town Centre development Wainsfort Road residential development Oranmore Golf and Country Club Dungarvan Equestrian Centre

The practice ethos places landscape design as a pivotal and integral part of the planning and development process. We believe that landscape design should be undertaken in close collaboration with architects, planners, engineers and/or construction teams. The Big Space strive to be recognised for high quality design, professional expertise and technical competence.

Swords Business Campus

The practice regularly participates in design competitions and has developed collaborative associations with ﬁrms and professionals offering complimentary services, including architects, engineers, arborists and environmentalists. The practice will shortly (Feb 2007) be moving to a 200sq.m modern ofﬁce directly overlooking Malahide Marina.

Private Residence, Mespil Rd, Dublin

The Official Journal of the Irish Landscape Institute, Winter 2007

LANDSCAPE I

Project Profile Riverside II, Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin DFLA were commissioned by the Riverside II Partnership to design and oversee the construction of a 1000 sqm courtyard. The courtyard is enclosed and overlooked on the north and west sides by the Headquarters of Beauchamps Solicitors and on the east and south by apartments. The courtyard was designed as an abstract composition to be viewed from above, but which would also function as an open space for office and residential users. A series of ‘plates’ were designed to hover over the ground plane of granite paving. The apparent ‘flatness’ of these elements is critical to the spatial composition. Because of the scale of the buildings it was important to ensure that the courtyard would read as one space while at the same time incorporate a variety of functions and a diversity of experience. The three main elements of the composition are a playground, a lawn and a ‘forest’ of palms, 150, 300, and 450mm above paving level respectively. The upstands for each ‘plate’ are dressed on all sides with continuous cantilevered timber benches. Corten and stainless steel planters and a 15m long still pool are incorporated along the residential sides of the courtyards to provide a degree of privacy at ground floor level pool. x 28

The lighting has been designed without any vertical pole or bollard elements and consists of strip down-lighters under benches, flush recessed lighters in stainless steel, uplighters to trees and buried LEDs in the playground. Many technical constraints had to be overcome, such as the finished floor level being only 150mm above the top of a podium slab and the need to facilitate cherry-picker access for window cleaning and maintenance. DFLA detailed all aspects of the scheme, including the steel works, pool, joinery, levels, drainage and irrigation. The planting is comprised of five olive trees in corten steel ‘pyramids’, Pseudosasa japonica in stainless steel and mass planted Trachycarpus fortunei with Fasicularia bicolor as groundcover. The construction process was facilitated by the work of many excellent consultants, contractors and suppliers including KMD Architecture, IN2, O’Connor Sutton Cronin, Sam Feeney, Moy Materials, ELC Laser and P.Elliott & Co. Ltd.

Iris oifigiúil Institiúid Ailitirí Tírdhreacha na hÉireann, Geimhridh 2007

LANDSCAPE I

Client:

Riverside II Partnership

DFRLA team:

Dermot Foley, Simon Canz

Architects:

KMD Architecture

Main Contractor:

P.Elliott & Co. Ltd.

Landscape Contractor:

Sam Feeney Landscapes Ltd.

Location:

Sir John Rogersonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Quay, Dublin

Site Area:

1000 sqm

Status:

Complete

The Official Journal of the Irish Landscape Institute, Winter 2007

LANDSCAPE I

Dublin 1660-1860 The Shaping of City by Maurice Craig

published by: Liberties Press Craig’s work was first published in 1952 and is now a well recognised a classic. It has been republished by Dublin publishers Liberties Press, the content remains unaltered by the author except to correct inaccuricies and errors in the script, which adds to the intrigue for the present day reader 55 years later. Dublin 1660-1860 is an informative, delightful and thorough account of the transformation of a mediaeval colonial city outpost into an elegant capital and the later onset of it’s political and cultural demise after the Act of Union in 1800. Craig’s writing is scholarly in content, yet fluid, skilful and accessible. As one would expect the book is a comprehensive and chronologically ordered account of the architectural achievement of the time, many of which retain to the present day their status as great icons of the city. From William Robinson’s Royal Hospital at Kilmainham, to Thomas Burgh’s Library at Trinity, The Houses of Parliament at College Green, Gandon’s; Customs House and Four Courts to Francis Johnston’s General Post Office. Craig describes vividly the development of Dublin’s great residential squares, the meticulous work of the Commissioners for the Making of Wide and Convenient Streets (Wide Streets Commission) and the many churches rebuilt and newly constructed during the time. Of note is that amongst the early achievements in the re-shaping of Dublin was the founding of a Royal Deer Park (present day Phoenix Park) under the Viceroyship of the Duke of Ormond from 1662 onwards. Craig includes an extract from a poem by James Ward from the early 18th century which is as resonant today with those familiar with the panoramic views afforded from the great open areas of the park as it was when the poet trod the same ground: A Grouppe of buildings in a cloud of smoak, Where various domes for various uses made, Religion, revels, luxury and trade, All undistinguishable in one mass appear, And widely diff’ring are united here. Craig places the architectural and physical development of the city against a colourful backdrop of social and economic x 30

change and upheavals, politics and culture, and sketches of the many characters that illuminated the city life. The revered Dean Johnathan Swift. Thomas ‘Buck ‘ Whaley, a member of parliament (MP) at eighteen years, who travelled to Jerusaleum for a wager. The intrepid and evasive Tiger Roche. My personal favourite is Patrick Joyce from Kilkenny, who under the guise of Dr Achmet Borumborad a refugee Turk from Constantinople successfully acquired parliament funding to establish a ‘hot and cold sea water baths’, images of a latter day Bhorat come to mind. A remarkable statistic quoted by Craig is the exponential growth in the city’s population between 1660 and 1710 from an estimated 15,000 to 75,000, a population explosion to dwarf even the remarkable growth of the past 40 years. Other favourite nuggets includes the description by Craig (writing during the late 1940’s) of Grafton St as “a narrow and miserable thoroughfare which is still palpably a country lane” and the “defacement and abuse” subjected to the equestrian statue of King William that stood on College Green. A statue that was repeatedly “daubed with ﬁlth, tarred, robbed of sceptre and even beheaded”. Of the “intrepid fellow” who on the eve of King William’s birthday painted the statue black and the Liberator Daniel O’Connell who in a gesture of reconciliation had the statue recoated in Bronze. Dublin 1660 – 1860 is diligently indexed and is an immense historical resource for students, academic and professionals alike. reviewed by Daibhí Mac Domhnaill

Iris oifigiúil Institiúid Ailitirí Tírdhreacha na hÉireann, Geimhridh 2007

LANDSCAPE R

career opportunities for landscape architects Murray & Associates is a landscape architecture practice based in Clontarf, Dublin. The practice was founded in 1991 and undertakes a wide range of landscape planning and design in Ireland and overseas. We offer motivated personnel the opportunity to work on challenging projects that improve their professional skills and their contribution to the collective aim. This aim is to create outstanding landscapes that give satisfaction to clients, enjoyment to the user and satisfaction to us as professionals. We offer competitive rewards to the right personnel. The practice now has vacancies for Landscape Architects as follows: 1. Candidates fully qualified in Landscape Architecture with a minimum of 5 years experience and membership of the Irish Landscape Institute or equivalent EFLA-accredited organisation. The successful candidate will have strong design skills, significant experience of landscape and visual impact assessment and both office based project management and onsite contract management skills. They will also be personable, with good organisational skills and be capable of building relationships with Clients and other professionals. 2. Candidates with a minimum of 3 years experience and an Irish Landscape Institute accredited qualification. The successful candidate will have strong design skills, experience of landscape and visual impact assessment and on-site contract management skills. They will also be personable, with good organisational skills. All candidates must have strong design abilities and the skills with CAD and graphic design software to produce imaginative, communicative documents to support their ideas. 3-D CAD skills preferred, but not essential. Your application should consist of cover letter, CV and portfolio with a minimum of 5 projects you have had a lead role in. Please send your application by email or on CD to Mark Boyle, Associate (mark. boyle@murray-associates.com) or at the postal address below. For more information on our practice, see www.murray-associates.com

Murray & Associates, Landscape Architecture 16 The Seapoint Building 44-45 Clontarf Road Dublin 3 Ireland

t: +353 1 854 0090 f: +353 1 854 0095 e: mail@murray-associates.com www.murray-associates.com

The Official Journal of the Irish Landscape Institute, Winter 2007

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Iris oifigiúil Institiúid Ailitirí Tírdhreacha na hÉireann, Geimhridh 2007