A Local Area Plan for Phibsboro will be put before councillors early in January.
The plan has been developed because of the large tracts of land in the area which will shortly become available for development.
It will form the basis for determining what happens to major sites such as Mountjoy Prison, the Mater hospital, Dalymount Park football grounds, the Phibsboro shopping centre, the former psychiatric hospital at Grangegorman and the old Smurfit printing site on Botanic Road.
One of the closest urban villages to the city centre, the central area of Phibsboro has failed to attract any higher end retail, has developed in a haphazard manner and parts of the area have become rundown over the years.
High-rise density development is envisaged by councillors for Phibsboro and some landmark buildings are also likely to be permitted under the Local Area Plan.