Put Yourself in the Picture

Dublin Bikes @ the Royal Canal I would like to see a Dublin Bikes station at either Des Kelly Carpets at Cross Guns Bridge, or Dalymount Park (St. Peter's Road) or at both of these locations. There are several stations along the Grand Canal, why not the Royal Canal?

Dublin Bikes @ the Royal Canal
I would like to see a Dublin Bikes station at either Des Kelly Carpets at Cross Guns Bridge, or Dalymount Park (St. Peter’s Road) or at both of these locations. There are several stations along the Grand Canal, why not the Royal Canal?

The people who live and work in any given community sometimes do not have the opportunity or forum to articulate their ideas on how the built environment could work better for them. Put Yourself in the Picture asked people who live, work and pass through Phibsborough to make public their ideas for improving public infrastructure and quality of life for everyone.

Devised by Artist Dorothy Smith and run in association with Phizzfest Put Yourself in the Picture invited residents, workers and passers-through to identify changes they would like to see in this area. People were invited to take a photo of themselves in that place in Phibsborough that they wanted to see changed, to identify why they want it changed and tell us what change they would like to see.

43 ideas were submitted. The photographs and ideas were displayed in a public place during Phizzfest 2014. A number of themes emerged and the ideas fell into the two broad categories of Amenity and Circulation

Themes

Two themes in particular emerged from the ideas submitted. People often do not feel negotiating their way around Phibsborough, either as a pedestrian or a cyclist and there is a huge desire for more both indoor and outdoor, eg. cycle routes, restaurants, pocket parks, community gardens, community centre – people want to engage in public life

Amenity

  • Visual Amenity – the many ugly, littered, vacant, unkept lanes, sites and buildings impact on the amenity value of the area
  • Short & Medium term – lack of simple play facilities, especially ideas for young teenagers – people want more restaurants, cafes, better selection of shops
  • Long term and larger scale ideas – there no sports, community and art facilities, these are badly needed

Circulation

  • Pedestrian Infrastructure – long wait times to cross roads, lights in favour of cars not pedestrians, people not feeling safe on footpaths, general pedestrian circulation in the village constantly impeded by motorised traffic.
  • Cycling Infrastructure – no cycling infrastructure, no Dublin Bike Scheme, no parking bays for bikes, no cycle paths, feeling unsafe cycling through Phibsborough, no safe cycle route to the city centre, no infrastructure to encourage or facilitate cycling
  • Walking and cycling routes and loops – huge potential with the canal tow path, the Great Western railway cutting, the Tolka cycle path – would benefit residents hugely and bring visitors to the area – all need to be further developed and linked

Below are some examples of the submitted ideas. All the photographs and ideas can be seen at  http://www.phizzfest.ie/put-yourself-in-the-picture.html 

Access to Royal Canal Bank (beside Des Kelly Interiors) The only way to access the lovely walk into the city centre via the Royal Canal Way is by descending a set of stone steps from the North Circular Rd, which is okay if you are an able bodied pedestrian but not if you have mobility problems or have a bike or buggy. Replace the steps with a ramp and place a rubbish bin nearby to help keep the area clean.

Access to Royal Canal Bank (beside Des Kelly Interiors)
The only way to access the lovely walk into the city centre via the Royal Canal Way is by descending a set of stone steps from the North Circular Rd, which is okay if you are an able bodied pedestrian but not if you have mobility problems or have a bike or buggy.
Replace the steps with a ramp and place a rubbish bin nearby to help keep the area clean.

Pedestrian and Cycle Crossing @ Phibsborough Library On pushing the button road user has to wait an inordinate amount of time for crossing to engage. Pedestrian / Cycle light timings should be reviewed and brought into line along with best practice, improved road markings would also be appropriate here.

Pedestrian and Cycle Crossing @ Phibsborough Library
On pushing the button road user has to wait an inordinate amount of time for crossing to engage. Pedestrian / Cycle light timings should be reviewed and brought into line along with best practice, improved road markings would also be appropriate here.