We are in a doom-loop media cycle about the state of Dublin, with hyperbolic and classist commentary focusing on crime. Dublin City Council must focus on community and culture
Another desirable quality is “eyes upon the street”. When people live on a street, a sense of ownership and self-policing occurs. We know what this quality feels like when we walk down a street where housing is embedded. It feels lived in, somewhere people are going about their lives, engaged with the immediate environment, and where businesses are run by – and serving the needs of – those who live there, from long-existing communities to immigrant ones.
Another is the level of activity on paths: “the sidewalk must have users on it fairly continuously, both to add to the number of effective eyes on the street and to induce the people in buildings along the street to watch the sidewalks in sufficient numbers,” Jacobs wrote. “Nobody enjoys sitting on a stoop or looking out a window at an empty street. Almost nobody does such a thing. Large numbers of people entertain themselves, off and on, by watching street activity.
Where quality dense housing that enhances community cohesion exists; where there are local businesses with a diverse offering; where people feel connected to each other and to the space; where streets are busy, areas thrive. There are fantastic things happening in Dublin in culture, community work, and hospitality. And yet so often, the people making things happen talk about the pressure of living in an expensive, under-resourced place.
– aesthetic, social, cultural – of nothing. This value system needs to change, and more gardaí on the street will not achieve that.