What We Are Actually Trying to Do
There is no shortage of regeneration projects in Dublin that produced glossy documents and delivered nothing. We would rather be specific about what we are trying to do and let the results speak for themselves.
1. Make the street work for people
Main Street is zoned Z3 Neighbourhood Centre. The Development Plan says it should have “active street frontage and a mix of uses” (CCUV2). Right now, it works primarily as a traffic corridor. The Traffic and Parking Reset is our attempt to change that through an experimental, reversible Section 38 trial.
2. Support existing businesses
There are 36 businesses listed in our directory. They are open now. Our job is to make the environment around them better—proper footpaths, evening lighting, safe crossings—so more people choose to spend time here rather than driving to a retail park.
3. Put the village back on the map
Coolock Village has heritage records going back to an Early Christian ecclesiastical enclosure (DU015-076). Yet Google Maps points you to the Northside Shopping Centre. We are actively pushing map corrections to fix this, because identity drives investment.
Detailed Approach
1. Make the street work for people, not just cars
The Traffic and Parking Reset proposes one-way northbound traffic, angled parking, and raised crossings. It is not an ideological war on cars; it is a geometric necessity for a street that cannot safely carry two-way buses and pedestrian footfall simultaneously.
We are not guessing. The trial will be measured against baseline data on traffic volume, average speed, parking occupancy, and pedestrian counts. Those numbers will be published here.
2. Support the businesses that are already here
We are tracking every grant and funding opportunity that local businesses and community groups can apply for. The Grants and Funding page has the details, including deadlines for the DCC Community Grants Scheme and SEAI upgrades.
3. Put the village back on the map, literally
Coolock Village is recorded in the Streetnames Database of Ireland as Sraidbhaile na Culoige. It is in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (St. Brendan’s Parish Centre, NIAH 50130228).
How we measure progress
We are not going to declare victory based on feelings. Here is what we track:
Metrics for Success
- Vacancy rate on Main Street (number of shuttered units vs. total units)
- Traffic data during the Section 38 trial (volume, speed, incidents)
- Parking occupancy (utilisation of new angled bays)
- Map presence (whether “Coolock Village” appears as a label on major apps)
- Grant applications submitted (how much funding the community has secured)
If these numbers are not improving, our approach is not working and we need to change it. That is the deal.
Coolock Village Regeneration Project
Community Initiative
Community Discussion