LATEST DUBLIN CITY NEWS

• “Proposed changes to retail guidelines will cost jobs, compromise main streets and cause more dereliction - An Taisce”

  03-01-2012

  Jobs will be lost and main streets will suffer if Forfas gets its way on Retail Planning  according to a recent An Taisce  Press Release

• Rejuvenating Dublin's Tourism Product

  23-12-2011

  Dublin City Business Association commissioned Jerome Casey and Felim O’Rourke to undertake a study of tourism in Dublin and to make least-cost recommendations for its rejuvenation. The World Tourism Organisation concluded (in relation to Ireland) that "there appears to be very little correlation between marketing spending by National Tourism Organisations and international arrivals". 
  

  Within Ireland, there is a mismatch between the Irish tourism market and the public resources devoted to it. 

  33 existing tourist attractions in Dublin were reviewed, and low-cost initiatives suggested for their improvement.

  From 2000 – 2010 Ireland’s share of world tourism visitors has fallen sharply. In 2004, Ireland changed from being a destination country for incoming tourists to an origin country for Irish, outgoing tourists.

  Dublin must move from passive approval of tourist activities to an active development of tourism as a priority industry in regenerating the city’s economy. 

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

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New City Plans for Grafton Street

Wednesday the 25th of October 2006

Grafton Street draws over 80,000 shoppers a day and has one of the highest retail rents in the world. Last month Grafton Street emerged as the sixth-most expensive retail thoroughfare in the world, with average annual rents of €4,496 per square metre, some up to €8,000 per square metre. Dublin City Council supported by the Dublin City Business Association have become concerned at the decline in shop fronts and retail mix in Grafton Street over the last few years and are determined to address this challenge and restore Grafton Street to its former status and glory.

Dublin's planners warned that there were too many mobile phone shops and convenience stores on the street and it wanted to attract better quality retailers.

City Planner Dick Gleeson confirmed that the council has plans to extend the designation of Grafton Street as an Area of Architectural Conservation to surrounding streets in order to achieve a better mix of uses as well as to protect the character of the area. Gleeson said: "We want to put our foot down. There has been a slide on the design front. We want the best design approaches for shop fronts-both contemporary and traditional."

City Manager John Tierney said that footfall levels on Grafton Street were equivalent to an All-Ireland final every day.

DCBA CEO Tom Coffey welcomed the proposals for the Grafton Street area IAP/ACA as it is essential to restore the quality and mix of the area. "Our aim is to lay foundations to make Dublin a world class city" he said.