The question is asked, what next???

Site Installation Day! 11th August

View from the Arbour


Park access


forming the Arbour in Windy Arbour

extract from CommunityPlanning.net

for more see....

http://www.communityplanning.net

All over the world there is increasing demand from all sides for more local involvement in the planning and management of the environment. It is widely recognized that this is the only way that people will get the surroundings they want. And it is now seen as the best way of ensuring that communities become safer, stronger, wealthier and more sustainable.

But how should it be done? How can local people – wherever they live – best involve themselves in the complexities of architecture, planning and urban design? How can professionals best build on local knowledge and resources?

Over the past few decades, a wide range of methods has been pioneered in different countries. They include new ways of people interacting, new types of event, new types of organisation, new services and new support frameworks.

This website provides an overview of these new methods of community planning. It is aimed at everyone concerned with the built environment. Jargon is avoided and material is presented in a universally applicable, how-to-do-it style. Whether you are a resident wanting to improve the place where you live, a policy maker interested in improving general practice, or a development professional working on a specific project, you should quickly be able to find what you need.

The methods described here can each be effective in their own right. But it is when they are combined together creatively that community planning becomes a truly powerful force for positive and sustainable change. Just a few of the many possibilities are featured in the scenarios section towards the end of the website.

In years to come it is possible to imagine that every human settlement will have its own architecture centre and neighbourhood planning offices; that all development professionals will be equipped to organise ideas competitions and planning weekends; that everyone will have access to planning aid and feasibility funds; that all architecture schools will have urban design studios helping surrounding communities; and that everyone will be familiar with design workshops, mapping, participatory editing, interactive displays and other methods described here.

When that happens, there will be more chance of being able to create and maintain built environments that satisfy both individual and community needs, and that are enjoyable to live and work in.

In the meantime the art of community planning is evolving rapidly. Methods continue to be refined and new ones invented. There is a growing network of experienced practitioners. This website will hopefully help with the evolution of community planning by allowing people to benefit from the experience gained so far and by facilitating international exchange of good practice.

The Common Space Public lunchtime conversation

There was a great turn out for the talk last Wednesday and it developed into a lively discussion that could have carried on for the afternoon.

Thanks to Ali, Aidan, Ken + Seoidin for taking the time out + Alan for chairing!

Michelle, Matt and others enjoying the day!

Photos by Alice C

People Make Parks

People Make Parks

Discussion with the Local Community

From the Ground Up Workshop

Survey of Opinion of Local Residents in the Windy Arbour Area 22^nd July 2009

Roy - Worker in Ryans Pub

Location: Ryans Pub, Dundrum Road

The car park beside the pub is owned by the pub. Roy said they don’t enforce clamping. The reason they put the paid parking in place is because of the large number of people who were not customers that started parking there during the day to take the LUAS.

Roy said there is a lot of underage drinking on the site. He said they are just kids, not threatening.

Opinion: Why should we turn our backs on this element of society?, Provide a space where these kids can hang out but not dark corners of parks – this results in a threatening feel for people who move through the space.

The pub maintain hedges around the car park – the guy who does them is away on holidays at the moment so that’s the reason why they are overgrown

Husband & Wife(60) – Residents of Mulvey Park

Location: St. Columbanus Road – En Route to LUAS

They said they never go into the park as they have nothing to go into the park for

The woman said she recalls the green space being called ‘Rourkes Field’ when she was young

She said Mulvey Park & Columbanus have a Residents Association.

Male(60) – Resident of St. Columbanus Park

Location: St. Columbanus Road – En Route to Dundrum

Frequency of visiting a park: He would go to St Columbanus Park twice weekly to practice golf.

Littering: He said that when the weather is good, there are often a lot of cans littered around the site on weekend mornings.

History: 20 years ago the entire site was overgrown. The council then put in the two bridges & culvert.

Vandalism: Over the 40 years living in the area it was very seldom he had seen cars burned out. He said he would not walk through the park at night because of fears for his personal safety.

Aspiration for Site: Seating, Flowers & Lighting at Night

Community Gardening Initative: He said personally it was not something he would get involved in but that he is aware of people who live in Mulvey Park who win competitions every year for their gardens. He said they might be people who could be interested in an initiative like that.

Amenity: He said that the park opposite Clonskegh Business Park always has people sitting out in it when the sun is shining. For some reason people don’t do the same in the site.

Siobhan O’Connor – Resident of Highfield Park

Dog Walker & Mother of Teenage Children

Location: At Home

Frequency of visiting the site: Four times a week – taking her dog for walk. She follows the same route we took on Monday through the site and into Columbanus Park.

She doesn’t believe there is any open space or park that she would consider her Local Space.

Safety: At night she would not enter the site for fear for her own personal safety. In the morning she sees homeless people in the park. She said she feels very unsafe walking along the bridge on St. Columbanus Road. She said it was dark here at night and she had heard of people being assaulted and robbed here. She also said that cars have been burned out here. She knows of people who won’t allow their children to go to the LUAS on their own in the evening.

She believes that people are coming into the area on the LUAS to rob houses. She said that a problem with creating a sense of ownership/pride in anything that created in the site is that you have other people coming into the area who don’t care.

Appearance: Graffiti and litter in the park is unappealing

She said she was unaware of any name for the site

Aspiration for Site: Seating, Access, more paths, Flower beds & Children’s Play Area

Perhaps having a Dog fenced Area. It is something she saw in Nice and in Marley Park. If seating was created around this space then it would bring a Dog Community together.

Gardening: She was very strongly in favour of the idea of a community garden initiative. She said there is a large population of elderly people in the area who would have gardening skills who she thinks could be interested in getting involved with something – Possibly an initiative to pass on their gardening skills to the younger people in the area. She referenced Allotments in Mount Anvil.

Community: Siobhan said there is a strong sense of community in her estate. However there is not really any connection with the communities in the other housing estates in the area.

Community Meeting: She was in favour of this idea. She suggested September would be a time when people would have more time and less people would be on holidays.

She suggested the idea of a Field day – Egg & Spoon race for the Kids & a fastest Granny Race.

She was in favour of participating in monthly meetings

Community Space: She was not aware of any community space. She said that elderly people are picked up every week at the pub and brought to play in Dundrum.

Woman(70) – Resident of Highfield Park

Retired, Carer

Location: At Home

The lady in this house looks after an elderly woman. She brings her for a walk in a wheelchair twice a week. She said she enters the park through the main entrance. She uses the park because she does not like to walk along Dundrum Road because it is so busy.

She said there is a lot of old people in the area & a large younger generation growing up who need a community space.

Aspiration for Site: Seating & Space to relax needed. One of the reasons she goes to the park is for peace and quiet.

Community Garden: She was open to the idea and referenced one that had started in Balbriggan. She said she was unsure how many people would want it as a lot of the houses have large back gardens.

Wildlife: She felt that the park was a valuable resource for its wildlife value.

Safety: At night she would not go into the park. She would feel safe at other times.

Woman (50) – Resident of Social Housing Maisonette on St. Columbanus Road

Mother & Housewife

Location: On St. Columbanus Road – En Route to Village

She has two young children. She needs somewhere to bring the children and a Play Area is what she really needs. She has to go two tops down on the LUAS to Cowper and then walk for 10mins after that.

She was not aware of any community space in Windy Arbour but she said the St. Columbanus Residence Association use the school for Karate & Bingo.

Access: She said it was hard for her to get into the site because of the wall at the bridge.

She felt the park was not very clean, no facilities for young people and at night she would not feel safe in the site.

Subsequent to my conversation with her I met her 30mins later, sitting on the wall of the green space opposite Ryans pub. Her children were playing on the grass. She said she would never think to go into the green space behind the pub.

Male & Female(23) – Resident of Farrenboley Park

Students

Location: Bus Stop on Dundrum Road

These two students would only use park as a short cut to the shop. The girl would not use it at night time. The man said he would. They never stay in the area to socialise. They don’t know anybody who lives there.

They would like to see a seating area and the park cleaned up.

Talking to the Local Community

From the Ground Up Workshop

Survey of Opinion of Local Residents in the Windy Arbour Area 22^nd July 2009

Bar man - Works in Ryans Pub

Location: Ryans Pub, Dundrum Road

The car park beside the pub is owned by the pub. He said they don’t enforce clamping. The reason they put the paid parking in place is because of the large number of people who were not customers that started parking there during the day to take the LUAS.

He said there is a lot of underage drinking on the site. He said they are just kids, not threatening.

Opinion: Why should we turn our backs on this element of society?, Provide a space where these kids can hang out but not dark corners of parks – this results in a threatening feel for people who move through the space.

The pub maintain hedges around the car park – the guy who does them is away on holidays at the moment so that’s the reason why they are overgrown

Husband & Wife – Residents of Mulvey Park

Location: St. Columbanus Road – En Route to LUAS

They said they never go into the park as they have nothing to go into the park for

The woman said she recalls the green space being called ‘Rourkes Field’ when she was young

She said Mulvey Park & Columbanus have a Residents Association.

Male – Resident of St. Columbanus Park

Location: St. Columbanus Road – En Route to Dundrum

Frequency of visiting a park: He would go to St Columbanus Park twice weekly to practice golf.

Littering: He said that when the weather is good, there are often a lot of cans littered around the site on weekend mornings.

History: 20 years ago the entire site was overgrown. The council then put in the two bridges & culvert.

Vandalism: Over the 40 years living in the area it was very seldom he had seen cars burned out. He said he would not walk through the park at night because of fears for his personal safety.

Aspiration for Site: Seating, Flowers & Lighting at Night

Community Gardening Initative: He said personally it was not something he would get involved in but that he is aware of people who live in Mulvey Park who win competitions every year for their gardens. He said they might be people who could be interested in an initiative like that.

Amenity: He said that the park opposite Clonskegh Business Park always has people sitting out in it when the sun is shining. For some reason people don’t do the same in the site.

Resident of Highfield Park

Dog Walker & Mother of Teenage Children

Location: At Home

Frequency of visiting the site: Four times a week – taking her dog for walk. She follows the same route we took on Monday through the site and into Columbanus Park.

She doesn’t believe there is any open space or park that she would consider her Local Space.

Safety: At night she would not enter the site for fear for her own personal safety. In the morning she sees homeless people in the park. She said she feels very unsafe walking along the bridge on St. Columbanus Road. She said it was dark here at night and she had heard of people being assaulted and robbed here. She also said that cars have been burned out here. She knows of people who won’t allow their children to go to the LUAS on their own in the evening.

She believes that people are coming into the area on the LUAS to rob houses. She said that a problem with creating a sense of ownership/pride in anything that created in the site is that you have other people coming into the area who don’t care.

Appearance: Graffiti and litter in the park is unappealing

She said she was unaware of any name for the site

Aspiration for Site: Seating, Access, more paths, Flower beds & Children’s Play Area

Perhaps having a Dog fenced Area. It is something she saw in Nice and in Marley Park. If seating was created around this space then it would bring a Dog Community together.

Gardening: She was very strongly in favour of the idea of a community garden initiative. She said there is a large population of elderly people in the area who would have gardening skills who she thinks could be interested in getting involved with something – Possibly an initiative to pass on their gardening skills to the younger people in the area. She referenced Allotments in Mount Anvil.

Community: She said there is a strong sense of community in her estate. However there is not really any connection with the communities in the other housing estates in the area.

Community Meeting: She was in favour of this idea. She suggested September would be a time when people would have more time and less people would be on holidays.

She suggested the idea of a Field day – Egg & Spoon race for the Kids & a fastest Granny Race.

She was in favour of participating in monthly meetings

Community Space: She was not aware of any community space. She said that elderly people are picked up every week at the pub and brought to play in Dundrum.

Woman – Resident of Highfield Park

Retired, Carer

Location: At Home

The lady in this house looks after an elderly woman. She brings her for a walk in a wheelchair twice a week. She said she enters the park through the main entrance. She uses the park because she does not like to walk along Dundrum Road because it is so busy.

She said there is a lot of old people in the area & a large younger generation growing up who need a community space.

Aspiration for Site: Seating & Space to relax needed. One of the reasons she goes to the park is for peace and quiet.

Community Garden: She was open to the idea and referenced one that had started in Balbriggan. She said she was unsure how many people would want it as a lot of the houses have large back gardens.

Wildlife: She felt that the park was a valuable resource for its wildlife value.

Safety: At night she would not go into the park. She would feel safe at other times.

Woman – Resident of Social Housing Maisonette on St. Columbanus Road

Mother & Housewife

Location: On St. Columbanus Road – En Route to Village

She has two young children. She needs somewhere to bring the children and a Play Area is what she really needs. She has to go two tops down on the LUAS to Cowper and then walk for 10mins after that.

She was not aware of any community space in Windy Arbour but she said the St. Columbanus Residence Association use the school for Karate & Bingo.

Access: She said it was hard for her to get into the site because of the wall at the bridge.

She felt the park was not very clean, no facilities for young people and at night she would not feel safe in the site.

Subsequent to my conversation with her I met her 30mins later, sitting on the wall of the green space opposite Ryans pub. Her children were playing on the grass. She said she would never think to go into the green space behind the pub.

Male & Female – Residents of Farrenboley Park

Students

Location: Bus Stop on Dundrum Road

These two students would only use park as a short cut to the shop. The girl would not use it at night time. The man said he would. They never stay in the area to socialise. They don’t know anybody who lives there.

They would like to see a seating area and the park cleaned up.