Swords Masterplan - Fingal County Council

Legibility
Landmark features allow visitors and residents to orientate themselves, creating a
legible and easily navigable environment. This can include focal buildings, intimate
spaces, street trees etc. Within the proposed framework for Swords developing
landmark features are critical to maintain a sense of legibility and an
understanding of the place.
Existing aids to legibility within Swords include views from within the Main Street
northwards to Swords Castle, St Colmcille’s and the Fingal County Hall’s building and
trees which greatly enhances the street’s legibility. To the south of the Main Street
glimpse views to Columba’s Church and round tower further enhances orientation.
East-west connections to the Main Street, particularly along the Malahide Road
lack landmark features that could assist in the legibility of the area. Opportunity
site no.6 outlined in chapter 3.0 specifically addresses this issue.
Swords Town Centre is also surrounded by barriers to legibility. The river creates
an edge to the west along which the settlement spreads to the north and the R132
acts as a barrier to the east.
Connections & Routes
THE RETAIL/COMMERCIAL CORE
The Main Street’s historic layout includes a number of east-west pedestrian links.
These include River Mall, Colmcille Court to the west of Main Street and Swords
Town Centre Mall, Mainscourt and The Plaza to the east of Main Street. To the west
of the Main Street these connections offer good access to the River Ward’s amenity.
The Main Street has evolved to accommodate vehicles at the expense of pedestrian
use. There are also connectivity problems for pedestrians travelling between the
Pavilions Shopping Centre and the Main Street, causing a loss of potential visitors to
the Town Centre. To the west of the Main Street pedestrian and vehicular circulation
is constrained by the river with only two crossing points at Bridge Street and Well
Road. The pedestrian walk along the river terminates at the boundary of Bridge
Street thereby restricting connectivity from the walk to Bridge Street and Swords
Town Park beyond. There is also restricted pedestrian access to the east of the
Main Street from ‘the Crescent’ development to New Street and beyond.
CIVIC/COMMUNITY CORE
Seatown Road provides direct access eastwards to the R132 and the M1 motorway.
With the proposed Metro North extension to Swords and the delivery of key road
links it will be possible to give more priority to pedestrians on the Main Street and
increase its role as a pedestrian friendly urban centre.
COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL
North Street’s traditional north south route remains a busy through route southwards
to the Main Street. A segregated pedestrian route through Swords Town Park is
provided from the northern end of North Street southwards down to Main Street.
S W O R D S M A S T E R P L A N
Positive Contribution to Legibility
Negative Contribution to Legibility
Barrier
Focal Buildings
0 25m
100m
N
Includes Ordnance Survey Ireland data reproduced under OSI Licence No. 2003/07/CCMA/Fingal County Council. © Ordnance Survey Ireland, 2006.
Direct North-South Vehicular & Pedestrian Connection
Vehicular System Enclosing Town Centre
East-West Pedestrian Priority Connections
0 25m
100m
N
Includes Ordnance Survey Ireland data reproduced under OSI Licence No. 2003/07/CCMA/Fingal County Council. © Ordnance Survey Ireland, 2006.
1 1 4
Parking
THE RETAIL/COMMERCIAL CORE
The Town Centre offers extensive on-street parking along the wide Main Street as
well as around the smaller backland streets at New Street and along Bridge
Street. Short term car parking will be provided for to serve the retail and
commercial core along Main Street.
At present, surface car parking areas that are open to the public are highlighted in
the figure adjacent in red. The estimated car parking capacity of these is in the
order of 170 spaces in total. One basement car parking facility at New Street has a
car parking capacity of approximately 50 spaces. Private pocket surface car
parking is predominantly located within areas to the rear of the Main Street. These
areas occupy prominent areas in the Town Centre and some may be potential
redevelopment sites. The Town Centre lacks a coherent parking strategy, with an
array of car parks and informal parking areas. Providing for adequate levels of
short term parking will be critical if Main Street is to thrive in the future.
CIVIC/COMMUNITY CORE
Within the civic community character area there exists one surface car park for
employees of Fingal County Council. This car park has a capacity of approximately
90 car parking spaces. On street parking can constrict narrow streets residential
areas (Seatown Villas) adjacent to Seatown Road.
COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL
On-street parking is provided in bays along North Street. The bays are reasonably
well defined through the use of road markings. Double yellow lines restrict
parking on certain areas of the street.
Existing surface car parking (public)
Existing surface car parking (private)
0 25m
100m
N
Includes Ordnance Survey Ireland data reproduced under OSI Licence No. 2003/07/CCMA/Fingal County Council. © Ordnance Survey Ireland, 2006.