Planning for a ‘visionary urban development’

Led by the Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA) under the chairmanship of former Dublin city manager, John Fitzgerald, the project aims to combine the strategic objectives of the Dublin City Council development plan with DIT’s drive for a world class campus and technology centre, the HSE’s objectives for primary and community care, and the needs of the neighbourhood community for recreational amenity and educational development. The development site (St Brendan’s Psychiatric Hospital) is situated to the north of Smithfield on Dublin’s northside and extends to some 30 hectares of mostly open space. The circa 400,000sq m (4.305 million sq ft) of development is relatively low density but reflects the specific nature of the development – academic and healthcare – and also the high proportion of open amenity and recreational space which will be included in the development. The master plan is still under preparation by Moore Ruble Yudell of California in association with DMOD Architects of Dublin. The GDA has engaged a team of advisors, including FGS and DLPKS and led by WK Nowlan Associates of Dublin, to prepare the strategic plan and manage the master plan and early development processes.

The Irish Times