REGENERATION

Introduction
Ballymun: Framing the context
In March 1997 the regeneration of Ballymun was
announced; the largest scale, most ambitious
initiative of its kind ever embarked upon in the history
of the state. Noting that the project incorporated
an integrated strategic plan for the economic and
social development of the area, the accompanying
press release stated that the re-development
of housing in Ballymun aimed to get Ballymun
working as a town ‘catering for all local needs,
attracting public and private investment, providing
employment and securing a better mix of housing
in a rejuvenated physical environment’ 1 . It was also
clear that while housing-based policies alone could
not fully realise the project’s strategic aim, they
could act as the catalyst which would ‘improve
Ballymun for the people who live there, and for
those who will live and work there in the future’.
The vehicle chosen to plan and implement the
realisation of this vision was a targeted company
wholly owned by Dublin City Council: Ballymun
Regeneration Limited (BRL). The company was
incorporated with a board of directors, representing a
range of stakeholders from statutory and community
and voluntary agencies, the local authority, the
community and the private sector; reflecting the
holistic view of the regeneration project, and
representing the creation of an agent charged with
changing the way major projects would be delivered.
The Masterplan: Articulating the vision
In March 1998, following six months intensive
consultation with the community and agencies
operating in the area, the masterplan for the new
Ballymun 2 was delivered to Government. It provided
an integrated framework including interventions
of a ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ nature which facilitated
cross-cutting initiatives to address a number of
social, cultural, economic and environmental
objectives. The ambition was clear. Services and
supports were needed and innovative programmes
also had to be developed to engage with local
residents and to meet their aspirations.
A housing transition course was devised around the
housing programme to tackle the issues surrounding
the move from high-rise accommodation to more
conventional housing. This course was also designed
to impact on personal and community development
and to assist pathways to employment. At the
same time, environmental initiatives responded
to the need for ownership of the local area, while
cultural and artistic programmes stimulated
participation and debate across the community and
beyond. Voluntary and community sector services
populated and enlivened the built environment in
the neighbourhood centres and facilitated their
use by local residents. The commitment from
the outset to involve the community and consult
extensively was groundbreaking - if not without
controversy. The multi-faceted nature of regeneration
representing all of these interests was abundantly
obvious. This could not be achieved by one
agency, one sector or a single-focus strategy.
The Masterplan: Charting the progress
Progress on the regeneration project has been well
documented over the years in the monitoring reports
of the Integrated Area Plan 3 but also in a plethora of
papers, presentations, evaluations and reflections
on both product and process. The publication of a
collection of essays 4 celebrating the 10th anniversary
of regeneration captured the breadth and depth
of the project’s intent to improve quality of life for
local residents and to enhance personal capacity.
1 Government press release. (March 1997).
2 Masterplan for the new Ballymun. BRL (1998).
3 Ballymun Integrated Area Plan under the Urban Renewal Scheme. (1998).
4 Memories, Milestones and New Horizons, Reflections on the Regeneration of Ballymun, Aibhlin McCrann (Ed.) Blackstaff
Press (2008).
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