Consultation Summer 2013

Green Hat undertook a first phase of public consultation on the development of Parnell Square Cultural Quarter on behalf of Dublin City Council. The consultation took place over 5 weeks in May and June 2013 and was delivered through a series of consultation activities which included:

• World Café Conversation events
• Consultation workshops
• Mini Street Festival and street survey
• Survey (online & paper)
• Vox pops
• Social media engagement (Twitter & Facebook)
• Phone / email interviews

The consultation team made direct contact with around 22,100 people and gave them the opportunity to contribute. More than 1,300 actively engaged in the process, and 925 surveys were completed. Even with a short timescale for consultation, a wide range of individuals, organisations and institutions engaged with the process. Participants came from across the arts and culture sector, community, voluntary, education, local authority, history and heritage, architecture and design, residents, neighbourhood organisations and other sectors. Many thanks to all who participated in this process.

There was a huge commitment to the area, to arts and culture and the city as a whole. Contributing participants brought energy and enthusiasm to the process, and were vital in identifying issues and recognising the unique opportunity that this development offers. The Parnell Square Cultural Quarter Consultation process identified a desire for a vibrant and modern Square, bustling with quirky, family-friendly spaces full of informal and spontaneous creative activity.  There would be a sense of the inside spilling outside with a pedestrianised space being seen as the key to the success of the development. It should be a place which reflects modern Irish identity, along with the heritage of the area. There were many ideas, suggestions and requests for uses of cultural space in the new library complex and integrated buildings.

There is a huge will and desire by the widest range of stakeholders to bring the vision of a cultural quarter for Parnell Square to life. This consultation process has demonstrated a commitment to city living, and underlined the importance and value of arts and culture as a key component to a thriving, world-class city in which to live, work and visit. It has illustrated Dubliners’ boundless passion for and belief in their city and its diverse communities. The response to the consultation process indicates that the future development of Parnell Square can support all these hopes and dreams, and through them continue to enhance the quality of life for everyone engaging with this great city.

 A huge thank you to Bryony and all her team at Green Hat for all their hard work on this consultation.

 Read the report on Parnell Square Cultural Quarter Public Consultation: Phase 1

 Watch a short film about this consultation phase Conversations from the Catalyst

The information and views set out in this report are those of the contributors to the public consultation and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Parnell Square Cultural Quarter project or of Dublin City Council.