New Development Plan in West Dublin

 Covering an area of 700 hectares, City Edge is strategically positioned to become an attractive urban extension of the city, where people will be able 

to live, work, and socialise. (Credit: Dublin City Council)

A large brownfield site at the western edge of Dublin has been earmarked as “one of the largest regeneration opportunities in Europe” as part of an ambitious 50-year re-development project spearheaded by Dublin City Council and South Dublin County Council.

The neighbouring councils yesterday launched a non-statutory plan called the City Edge Strategic Framework, which provides a roadmap to regenerate the area over the next 50 years.

“The City Edge Project is a joint initiative between DCC and SDC to create a new liveable, sustainable and climate resilient urban quarter at the western edge of Dublin City,” according to a statement by Dublin City Council today.

The project involves a massive 700 hectare site located within the Naas Road, Ballymount and Park West areas in west Dublin that, according to the councils, “has the potential for 40,000 new homes and 75,000 jobs that would contribute €13bn GVA ( Gross Value Added) a year to the economy, making it one of the largest regeneration opportunities in Europe.”

According to the statement, "The City Edge area is already a cornerstone of the Dublin economy with around 1,500 firms employing 25,000 people, together with well-established residential communities of 5,000 people."

"National and regional policies, however, identify City Edge as a portion of Dublin that has the potential to be utilised far more extensively. This substantial brownfield land bank is the inevitable "next step" in the sustainable growth of Dublin and is situated at the western fringe of Dublin City, within the M50 and only 15 minutes from the city centre.

The scheme's promotion of sustainable growth in Dublin is a key element, with a focus on the development of land where both current and future communities can benefit from public transportation, infrastructure for walking and bicycling, and neighbourhood amenities like parks, schools, and other community facilities.

The statement stated that the revitalization of the City Edge neighbourhood "will significantly contribute to the delivery of much-needed new houses and jobs, which in turn will produce considerable economic, climate, and social advantages for the country."

In order to harness the long-term potential of this crucial initiative for national security, however, the project will require the cooperation of numerous State entities as well as "upfront expenditure to push ahead early infrastructure delivery."

Meanwhile, amendments to the Dublin City and South Dublin County Development Plans will be required "to provide a legal basis for a more localized plan and policies, with further public consultation as part of the process," the statement concluded.