Capital to be 'city of neighbourhoods' within 10 years

Dublin city will become a "city of neighbourhoods" within the next 10 years, a new strategy for the capital has pledged.

The strategy "Dublin - a City of Possibilities 2002-2012" by Dublin City Development Board aims to foster around 20 viable and self-sufficient neighbourhoods with populations of between 20,000 and 25,000.

The strategy warns that some areas of Dublin have lost, or may lose, their sense of neighbourhood identity due to the transient population of the inner city.

It says neighbourhood revitalisation has been the key to the success of Barcelona, New York and Washington.

"Public services need to be delivered at a more local level than they are being delivered at the moment," the report states.

Building on neighbourhoods will give people a sense of identity and will encourage them to protect their area, it says. As part of a review of the city development plan, a mapping exercise will be carried out to identify neighbourhoods. In the meantime, Dublin City Council will be asked to identify pilot neighbourhoods.

When the neighbourhoods have been mapped, public service delivery boundaries and methods will be reviewed and reorganised to fit in with identified neighbourhoods.

The strategy will create "neighbourhood civic fora" which will encourage people to become involved in decisions that affect their area. It also proposes the establishment of an economic development office to encourage inward investment and support small businesses.

An "Enterprising Dublin" fund which will reward entrepreneurial activity will be managed by the Lord Mayor's office. About 40,000 businesses operate in Dublin, 96 per cent of which are in the small to medium category. Dublin Chamber of Commerce's policy director, Mr Declan Martin, said the plan was a blueprint to take Dublin forward to its next stage of development.

He called for the fast-tracking of the proposed Greater Dublin Area Authority and questioned the Government's commitment to the construction of the National Conference Centre.

"Every year that this project is delayed is costing the city €50 million in lost tourism revenues," he said. Dublin City Development Board has promised to closely monitor the implementation of the strategy.

It will produce an annual report on progress and will publish more detailed reviews of the strategy in 2005 and 2009. Monitoring commissions will meet at least six times a year, and members of the public will be encouraged to actively monitor the progress by logging on to the website: www.dublin.ie