Plan for Dublin promises a safer, greener city

A safer, greener and more accessible city has been promised for Dublin in a 10-year strategy drawn up by Dublin City Development…

A safer, greener and more accessible city has been promised for Dublin in a 10-year strategy drawn up by Dublin City Development Board (DCDB).

The board includes community, business and local government representatives.

Creating a safer city was the public's main demand during the consultation process on the plan.

City dwellers said they felt less safe now than they did in the past and they called for more gardaí to patrol the streets and for a more effective community policing scheme.

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They also raised concerns about protection for older people, racism, anti-social behaviour and under-age drinking.

Over the past 48 years, half of all indictable offences have been recorded in Dublin.

The strategy promises to develop a Safe City Initiative for Dublin to advise on public lighting and other ways of improving public safety.

It will set up community policing partnerships in neighbourhoods which will include all sectors of the community in addressing crime prevention in local areas.

People at risk of becoming involved in crime will be especially singled out for preventive approaches, the report says.

The public consultation also highlighted concerns about the environment and traffic congestion.

People complained of the stress caused by increased journey times and described the public transport system as "poor". They were critical of the lack of accessible, door-to-door community transport and called for a safe, high-quality environment for pedestrians and cyclists.

The strategy proposes the establishment of a single traffic manager who would by employed by Dublin City Council to co-ordinate and integrate day-to-day traffic management across all relevant agencies.

It will investigate the feasibility of "free-flow officers" to manage peak-flow traffic and enforce traffic legislation.

"Creative initiatives" to relieve stress caused by congestion will also be developed, while campaigns to improve public transport services are promised.

The pollution implications of traffic congestion were also highlighted in the strategy. People said there was a lack of information on the state of the city's environment.

Under the strategy, businesses and public agencies will be encouraged to carry out environmental audits. Incentives and disincentives will be introduced to make the city more environmentally friendly.

The strategy also aims to increase the representation of the environmental sector on decision-making bodies.

"A high-quality and comprehensive hazardous-waste treatment system" will be introduced in the city, covering all elements of waste disposal.

According to the report, pressure on Dublin's public services will grow over the next 10 years as its population increases to 1.3 million and the number of over 65-year-olds increases by 25 per cent.

Introducing the report, the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, said this was possibly the first time that everyone involved in providing services in Dublin had worked together to plan the way forward. "Critically, it should mean less confusion and more coherence for the men and women in the street," he said.

Mr Cullen said he would be looking to Dublin City Council to lead the implementation of these proposals.

Alison Healy

Alison Healy

Alison Healy is a contributor to The Irish Times