Neighbourhood Centres, Health and Recreation.

5. NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRES

In the ordinary course of development certain nuclei for everyday shopping, with possibly a post office, bank, etc., tend to form themselves not always in the most suitable places. They usually occupy the sites of former villages, or are situated at newly developed cross roads. Modern planning includes among its aims guidance as to the situation of such centres. In dealing with the area falling between the built-up city and the green belt, it is proposed that these neighbourhood centres should be so placed that no house shall be more than half-a-mile from a centre. Where an area is at present undeveloped, it is impossible to define the exact situation of such a future centre, but its approximate situation is shown as a diamond on the map. Existing centres working into the pattern are shown to their existing shapes, allowing for increased size. It can be seen, therefore, that the structure of the Dublin plan is not only that formed by the street pattern, but by a series of circles-the city within the circular roads being the larger central nucleus, with the half mile circles surrounding it, each having its focal centre.

It is only by means of a theoretic basis of this sort that a topographically satisfactory social structure can be built up. Dublin, being an ancient city, with not only a well marked historic centre but also, especially on the South, a markedly developed suburban growth, it is clearly impossible to realise an ideal theoretic diagram; but the principle of a city built up out of units of neighbourhood life culminating in the civic centre should be adopted.

The open strips described under “Parkways” in Section 6, have been planned as much for the purpose of breaking up the monotonous continuity of suburban spread and creating neighbourhood units as for the provision of space dedicated to recreation. It will be seen, on the 8-inch map (No.2), that this new form of fringe growth produces a pattern different from that found in the older suburbs.

6. HEALTH AND RECREATION

Hospitals.*

The siting of hospitals, as for example whether they should be centrally situated or placed in the outskirts, depends upon such varied considerations, apart from those coming within the purview of planning, that we are in difficulties in making recommendations of a definite kind in all cases. The principal hospital requirements can conveniently be divided under four heads *

(a) *four general hospitals, two on the North and two on the South;

*(b) *Tuberculosis;

*(c) *Fever;

*(d) *Mental Hospital at Grangegorman.

Taking these in order:

(a) The first of the two Northerly hospitals will consist of the existing buildings, and additions within the grounds, of the Mater Hospital in Eccles Street. The second Northerly hospital will be the Richmond, at present in Brunswick Street. These planning proposals need not interfere with reconstruction on its present site, if this is deemed necessary, but we regard it as essential that the hospital authorities should, in any such reconstruction, provide space within their own curtilage for the parking of cars.

In the event of the removal of this hospital, we are satisfied that the site on the Navan Road, which has been proposed by the Department of Local Government and Public Health, would be a suitable one. Our tendency is to favour removal, as this would help in the thinning out of the central area.

The two Southerly hospitals will comprise: St. Vincent’s Hospital on its new site at Elm Park. Secondly, an amalgamation of existing hospitals on a site to be selected. The amalgamation will include Sir Patrick Dun’s, Mercer’s, Baggot Street, and possibly the Meath. We have considered a suggestion, made by representatives of South City Hospitals that the Tullamaine site, which includes the grounds of Mespil House, might be acquired as a site for the amalgamated hospital, but we do not recommend this site since it comes within a district which should be kept residential in character. As an alternative to the above, we suggest the site of some 10 acres near Parnell Bridge which forms part of the proposed Rutland Avenue housing site. *

(b) *The question as to whether the two proposed tuberculosis hospitals (advanced and early stages) should be associated together, or kept separate, presents a medical problem upon which we express no opinion, but socially recognise the advantages of advanced cases being placed not too far from the city. Some time since, “we examined the Stonehouse (Ballyfermot) site with a view to its use for advanced cases only. We understand that, as a result of an unfavourable report from us, the proposal has been abandoned.

At the time when we reported on the Stonehouse site, we also examined, and reported on, the suggested site at Ballyowen. If it is not considered too far from the city, it appears to be excellent for hospital purposes. It should be suitable for advanced cases, and there should also be enough space for those in early stages. This latter requirement could, however (if the question of joint superintendence is not vital) be met by a separate hospital situated further out, possibly on the slopes of the hills. *

(c) *As regards the site for the Fever Hospital: we have examined two sites in Blackditch, known as the Cogan and the Colman sites. Either of these appears to be suitable from the general planning standpoint. We express a slight preference for the Cogan site. *

(d) *In reference to the Grangegorman Mental Hospital: it does not appear to us satisfactory to place patients who might be enjoying, and benefitting from, the amenities of the country, in a vast area of a central urban character. Our road and zoning proposals, therefore, assume a process of evacuation by stages which, in its ultimate fulfilment, we realise may be long delayed.

The point arises in the central city that if the Cork Street Fever Hospital and the Coombe Maternity hospitals are abandoned, their sites should be held in reserve and not built upon until the detailed replanning of the area has been fixed.

PUBLIC PARKS AND PLAYING FIELDS. *

(a) Metropolitan Parks:*

Dublin appears, in a statistical comparison with other towns, to be fairly well equipped with public parks. This is due to the Phoenix Park, 1,350 acres of which are open to the public, and the remaining 400 or so acres being open, but privately used. It is obvious, however, that this park, invaluable though it is to deal with great open air festivals, serves as an easily accessible recreation ground only for the Western section of the city.

The park requirements demand that the benefits of similar open spaces on a smaller scale should be available to the North-East and South-East of the city. Such parks should be between 500 and 600 acres in extent and these with the Phoenix Park would form a triangular pattern of three large metropolitan parks. These should not be confused with local parks containing up to 100 acres, such as Fairview, Herbert Park, Dun Laoghaire Central Park, and small parks formed in connection with new housing schemes. A perfect distribution of these three parks could be secured by reserving the requisite space at St. Anne’s on the North-East and by the Merrion reclamation scheme proposed for the South-East.

In regard to St. Anne’s Estate; it is our view that the only argument in favour of using the site for housing would be based on the existence of the present Metropolitan boundary. From the planning point of view arguments based upon an arbitrary boundary are inadmissible. In this ease, moreover, the findings of the Local Government (Dublin) Tribunal 1935, suggest that the boundary need not be taken into account, In situation, level and natural beauty, the St. Anne’s Estate is admirably adapted for use as one of the Metropolitan Parks for recreation and large scale playing fields and we suggest that the fine Mansion and gardens attached might be used as a folk museum. The Merrion reclamation scheme is dealt with separately. *

(b) Local Parks.*

Of these the most important are the reservation for a park of some 50 acres at Bushy Park, and a similar area at Monkstown to form a central local park for the inhabitants of Dun Laoghaire. A beginning has already been made on the latter by the Dun Laoghaire Borough Corporation. Dun Laoghaire town is in the remarkable position of possessing no park for sports or field recreation, and the provision of such a park, centrally placed, is imperative.

The strip of coast along the Rock Road, extending from the Imco Works to the existing Blackrock Park, should be reserved as a public open space. The low-lying part is being gradually filled in sufficiently to prevent flooding, but there would appear to be no need to carry the surface up to road level except where this would be necessary for widening the Rock Road. *

Hill Parks.*

Acting as sentinels to Dublin Bay there stand the Hill of Howth to the North and the triple summits of Dalkey-Killiney-Telegraph Hills to the South. These should be reserved for public use. Small portions of the Hill of Howth and the major part of the Dalkey-Killiney Hills are already in public ownership and the remainder should be acquired as and when opportunity arises. *

Parkways.*

It is proposed to reserve parkway strips along the Dodder and the Tolka. In the case of the Dodder, it is a simple matter with the aid of a few light footbridges to give direct access for pedestrians from Ballsbridge the whole way to the green belt. In addition to these riverside walks, it is proposed to form small wedges of open land and to preserve green strips along certain major roads, the details and exact location of which would be decided at a later stage.

In the outer fringe, where a new type of development is possible, we propose that these strips (which may for the greater part be obtained by negotiation in settling zoning densities) should create a series of units of residential development with appropriate neighbourhood centres. *

Playing Fields.*

These can only be provided on the outskirts. Those which already exist should, in common with golf courses, football fields, lawn tennis clubs, and the like, wherever possible be reserved as private open spaces. In cases where sufficient development demands building over existing sports fields and the like, it will often be found possible to meet the demands of the layout and to provide alternative and equivalent open space accommodation. In such cases, it is important that equally suitable alternative accommodation should be provided at the time when the building development on the open space takes place.

Existing accommodation is not, however, adequate to meet existing needs. We are not at present in the position to mark the exact sites of proposed new playing fields and sports grounds in suburban areas, but their provision on sites convenient of access should be borne in mind as development proceeds.

Sites for new schools in suburban areas should include sufficient space for the formation of suitable playgrounds. *

Area Required for Parks, Playing Fields, etc.*

There are two methods commonly in use for giving an approximate idea of public open space requirements. These are based: *

(a) *on a percentage of area;

*(b) *on a population basis.

Under method *(a), *open space requirements are taken at 10 per cent. of the total area for public parks plus 21 per cent. for public playing fields, giving 121 per cent. (one-eighth of the area) as a total. On this basis, we find that the Metropolitan Free Entry area of 40,245 acres should contain 5,080 acres of public parks and playing fields.

Under method *(b), *we take five acres per thousand inhabitants for parks, and we allow the same proportion as under *(a) *for playing fields, *i.e., *13 per cent. making 63 acres per thousand in all. This gives our requirements for a population of 702,900 as 4,400 acres.

We may, therefore, take the area finally required for public parks and playing fields as some 4,500 acres.

It should be noted that the Phoenix Park (public portion) and the two new Metropolitan parks proposed in this Report would alone account for more than three-fifths of this total. The remainder would include the hill parks local parks, riverside parkways, open wedges, playing fields, and the like. *

Private Open Spaces.*

Dublin is extremely fortunate in the large number of private open spaces which surround the more closely built-up area. The 3-inch Regional Map will clearly show the extent of these areas of open ground, many of them forming the fine setting of religious institutions. Although these grounds are not open to the public, they contribute a very real public benefit to the city. In one respect they help to break up that continuity of suburban development which is described in Section 5; in another they form “lungs” - reservoirs as it were - of fresh air; and finally their vegetation enters into and enhances the general metropolitan scene. It is assumed that these private open spaces will be safeguarded in the statutory plan. *

Bathing.*

We have considered the question as to whether a central bathing establishment is desirable within the city or whether large scale sea baths should be provided at some point on the coast and local baths only within the city. We are of opinion that the latter alternative should be adopted, and we consider that the most suitable situation for a sea bathing establishment would be at Sandycove. The Dun Laoghaire Corporation has recently held a competition in this connection and the prize winner has produced an excellent design appropriate to a peculiarly beautiful site. The execution of so ambitious a project clearly a regional rather than a local matter. Such baths would serve, not only the Metropolis, but the whole country, and their existence would in no way preclude smaller scale establishments elsewhere along the coast.

As regards local baths for the central city; we have already given general approval to a site at Williams’ Park, Rathmines, to serve this Southern area. The Blessington Basin has been suggested as a corresponding site for the North, and its use for this purpose would not interfere with our planning proposals.

Section 7 and 8 Index Home.