Projects

Assessing the need for cultural infrastructure across the city of Dublin

Our role

• Our Strategic Communications team managed the preparation for a Cultural Infrastructure Study for the city of Dublin to provide DCC with an understanding of the scope and quality of existing cultural infrastructure and facilities in its administrative area, the sectoral requirements for the incoming plan period, the regional and spatial planning policy context and the current cultural policies, benchmarking Dublin with other Irish, UK and European cities, and UCLG best practice guidelines.
• This is part of the Irish Government’s long-term national strategy, “Project Ireland 2040”, from which “Culture 2025 (A National Cultural Policy Framework to 2025)” connects overarching policy framework for the arts, culture and creativity policies.
• Our role included an assessment of nature and quality of cultural infrastructure across the city, including workspace, rehearsal space, performance space, civic cultural spaces alongside cultural venues and retail. We also mapped the infrastructure, undertook benchmarking interviews and delivered an integrated approach to stakeholder engagement.

Results

• The study has provided Dublin City Council with an understanding of the scope and quality of existing cultural infrastructure and facilities in its administrative area and an appreciation of the future needs of the city.
• The study has directly informed a dedicated chapter on 'Culture' for the first time as part of draft Dublin City Development Plan 2022 – 2028, emphasising the city’s dedication to workspace and culture-led regeneration. 
• As a result of the recommendations of the report two further pieces of work have been instructed.