Una Mullally: Capel Street called out and Owen Keegan listened

Something remarkable happened last week that illustrates the growing level of political engagement in Dublin. When Dublin City Council opened a brief window of consultation over the pedestrianisation of Capel Street in the city centre, over 4,500 public submissions were made. The result of this massive input was a change to the plans, including an expansion of path build-outs on the street, and a recognition that people want more than that, and so a six-weekend-long pedestrianisation trial will begin in late June. It is incredible such a huge number of people would engage in the recalibration of a single street in Dublin.

Dublin city has an amenities crisis, and while this has been evident for some time, the pandemic has prompted people to engage with their own desires and needs regarding public space and amenities.

People who live in the capital care about it. They want nice things. They want to have a good time. They get frustrated by stupid decisions. They want more freedom and the kind of good stuff they see in other European cities.

And now they’re engaging with planning and local government in a way that may indeed change how the city is run. It shouldn’t be that people have to make a tremendous amount of noise for a better plan for a street to be presented, but the fact that’s what happened is evidence of a people-led (or perhaps people-forced) grinding of gears to drive the city in a direction that is desirable to its inhabitants.

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Wave of engagement

This new wave of engagement with local government will continue, not least because the chief executive, Owen Keegan, will be in his job for a while yet. When I asked Dublin City Council what the status of Keegan’s contract was, given that he has completed his seven-year term, the council said that he had decided on three more years.

“The chief executive advised the Lord Mayor by letter dated 25th February, 2020, that he had decided to extend his contract of employment for the permitted period of three years to September 2023. In accordance with section 147 (3) of the Local Government Act, 2001, the Lord Mayor formally advised the city council of this at their meeting of 2nd March, 2020, and also advised the Minister and the Public Appointments Service, as required,” according to the council.

People's expectations are higher – they can't fathom why simple things aren't being done well, and why basic amenities aren't forthcoming

Beyond the housing crisis, which is a social emergency, there is a deeper movement happening in the capital that government politicians and the council will be forced to engage with and will ignore at their peril. This is about amenities, urbanism more generally and the future of the city.

People’s expectations are higher – they can’t fathom why simple things aren’t being done well, and why basic amenities aren’t forthcoming. What happens in Dublin is a harbinger for the rest of the country. It is, after all, where a third of people in Ireland live.

This public desire is also why the Green Party and left-wing politicians are doing increasingly well in Dublin, because they are offering ideas or intentions for a city that aren’t just “wouldn’t that be a great spot for another office block?”

In the suburbs, amenities are also under threat thanks to land speculation. But if all we have are offices and apartments blocks, where do people play? And not just children and families, but teenagers, students, people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and those older than that too?

It’s sad to see amenities such as the Stillorgan Bowl demolished. Every time that happens, whether it’s a bowling alley, a club, a theatre or a public square, it should be replaced threefold. But that’s not happening and people are frustrated. They feel hemmed-in, and are being denied the release so desperately needed after rolling lockdowns.

When it comes to public amenities, one only has to examine who needs them most to see where the solutions lie. Were the city less hostile to people who are homeless, for example, there would already be plenty of public toilets, there would be public seating, there would be sheltered open areas to socialise in. Were the city less hostile to skateboarders, there would be much more open, multipurpose, public squares, street furniture, bins and so on.

Council decision

Dubliners – young and old – have had enough. One has to laugh at the council calling out “antisocial” behaviour in Portobello while simultaneously not providing public toilets or enough bins. Fencing off a public space in the ugliest way imaginable in Portobello is antisocial behaviour. Not providing people with the amenities and facilities they need is antisocial behaviour.

Whoever has the brightest plan for a playful city where people can socialise happily, with an abundance of amenities, recreational facilities, pedestrianisation, cycling infrastructure, beautiful parks and options for affordable activities will have the ear of the city. And if that’s not forthcoming, this movement to force the hand of local government will continue apace.