ABSTRACT
While Dublin hosts the largest park in Europe, the historic working-class neighborhood of The Liberties has the least amount of green space in Ireland, and continues to harbor low-quality parks and playgrounds. Such discrepancy dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, when Dublin’s industrialization was accompanied by dense housing construction to respond to rural migration and urban social needs. On the other hand, housing priorities have stalled the construction of green and open spaces in the city center and allocated new park investments to the outskirts, creating persistent conditions for the unequal distribution of green space in the city. In addition to historically low investments in green space, The Liberties has been plagued by high amounts of post-industrial empty or derelict space, long-term disinvestment and, most recently, by a housing crisis affecting long-term and/or socially vulnerable residents. Yet, as The Liberties embarks on an official Greening Strategy, compounded environmental inequities and scarcities in green space and quality, affordable housing, citywide uncontrolled real estate and economic growth represent dichotomous challenges for achieving sustainable revitalization in The Liberties and in Dublin as a whole.
Keywords
the urban development pattern of the city and neighborhood: fast-growing; post-industrial redevelopment, post-crisis regeneration; tech-driven
the urban greening of the city and/or neighborhood: new neighborhood parks; greening strategy; redevelopment of abandoned or underused land
the inequalities at stake: deep inequities in access to green space; green gentrification; student-centered gentrification; housing crisis; pseudo-public green spaces
