Document Type

Report

Rights

This item is available under a Creative Commons License for non-commercial use only

Disciplines

Urban studies (Planning and development), Transport planning and social aspects of transport

Publication Details

DIT and Northside Partnership Students Learning with Communities Project, 2016

Abstract

The North East Dublin area has been identified for the development of a plan addressing health inequality and promoting a Healthy Community (WTO 2011) by the Northside Partnership (NSP), a local development company established in 1991 to address social exclusion, and the Dublin North Health Promotion Department. Poor health has been identified as an issue for people who live in areas affected by structural disadvantage and social exclusion in North East Dublin. A community survey in 2008 and a health needs assessment in 2003 both highlighted risk factors for high levels of chronic disease risks in the surveyed neighbourhoods and raised problems relating to mental health, income levels and environmental issues which all impact on health. Sustainable transport was identified as one of the key areas which could bring social, economic, environmental and health gains to the Pilot Area. Since 2013 DIT Environment & Planning have engaged with the NSP through the auspices of DIT Students Learning with Communities to support the Healthy Communities Pilot Project. DITs area of input is to study specifically transport and mobility within the pilot area

As part of the area-wide cycling audit carried out in 2014, the Santry River Greenway Corridor was identified as a key potential resource for increasing mobility, health and long-term social inclusion within the Pilot Area. The greenway is identified as part of the Strategic Green Network in the National Transport Authority (NTA) Cycle Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area (GDA). Yet, of all the greenways, it alone has not commenced through the planning stages. In the Dublin City Development Plan 2016-2022, Dublin City Council (DCC) states that it is its objective to ‘develop, within the lifetime of this plan, the Strategic Cycle Network for Dublin city – connecting key city centre destinations to the wider city and the national cycle network, and the implement the NTA’s Greater Dublin Area Cycle Network Plan; to bring forward planning and design of the Santry River Greenway, incorporating strongly integrative social and community development initiatives’ (DCC, 2016, p. 108). Initial appraisal, as part of the Northside Partnership Healthy Communities Pilot, suggest that it can potentially be among the most viable, in terms of health, community regeneration and local economic development.

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