Battle for Place:
Urban regeneration and planning in the Liberties/Coombe area
“There is a district in Dublin that possesses many remarkable and peculiar features. It is still called the Liberties and derives its name from certain privileges and immunities enjoyed by the inhabitants having manor courts of their own, and seneschals to preside in them.” * Mr and Mrs Hall during their tour of Ireland
“Urbanization is one of the most important geographic phenomena” (Knox & Marston, 2011). In an attempt to resolve social, economic and physical issues in towns and cities, these places undergo urban regeneration and urban planning (Knox & Marston, 2011). Geographers and politicians the world over endeavour to improve areas that have been neglected and abused in the past, in order to improve our world as we know it. The look at the urban ecology of the place (social and demographic composition of city districts and neighbourhoods) along with the urban form (physical structure and organization of cities in their land-use, lay-out and built environment) and attempt to rebuild the cities that need it most in response to changing circumstances. Ireland’s capital city, Dublin, has been one of these cities. It has undergone change repeatedly over the previous centuries, with aims to improve its transport system, cost of living in these areas along with the physical appearance to name a few. One of the areas that has received a large amount of malnourishment in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) is that of the Liberties/Coombe area. It is located no more than 3 kilometres from Dublin’s Central Business District (CBD), and yet holds a very different atmosphere despite the area being rich in history and heritage. Throughout the 17th and 18th Century, the Liberties were the heart of industrial Dublin because of its constant crowded streets, alleys and houses teeming with humanity. The huge population growth between the 17th and 19th century meant that the population...
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