Swords Masterplan - Fingal County Council

STREET HIERARCHY –
URBAN DESIGN PARAMETERS AND OBJECTIVES:
Central Street [see Plan and Cross Sections]
CHARACTER
● Central Street shall be the main 24 hour public pedestrian thoroughfare
linking all public spaces, from Cultural Square, Pavilions Place, Metro
Plaza, to ‘Upper Street’ within the Barrysparks development area.
DESIGN
● The width of the street shall be 12-14m.
● The retail street shall have a continuous façade height between 12 and 15m.
● This street shall be covered by a glazed canopy shelter structure.
● Building façades above the retail street shall be set back to create a stepped
profile to the street to allow the glazed canopy to bear onto the roof at this point.
● Building height, orientation and width of the street shall ensure daylight and
sunlight within the street, while minimising overshadowing.
● Appropriate mechanisms/environmental controls shall be developed in
order to ensure that a suitable environment at street level is maintained
having regard to the sheltered nature of the street and the need to interface
with the existing shopping centre. The environmental controls shall be
attractively designed and doors shall not be utilised to enclose the street.
● Materials and finishes to the street shall be designed to reflect the
character of an external street.
USES
● Active ground floor uses shall be required.
● Foyers and entrances to larger office buildings shall be facilitated along
Central Street.
● Main circulation routes connecting all levels shall be located off Central Street
and shall not interfere with the free flow of people along this pedestrian street.
● Uses over the retail street shall form part of street façades creating points
of focal interest and passive supervision of the street. The location of
residential/office units above shall be coordinated to ensure daylight/
sunlight to the street and minimise overshadowing.
● Retail units shall occupy maximum 2 floors (taken at +1 street level) with
residential and office units above.
● Landscaped courtyards may be visible providing opportunity for the
landscaping to become part of the street character.
The Rise [see Plan and Cross Sections]
CHARACTER
● The Rise shall be the main 24 hour public thoroughfare linking Malahide
Road to Metro Plaza over the R132 and connecting to the Barrysparks
development area. This street shall cater for cyclists and public transport.
● The Rise shall be designed as a sloping street with a bridge over the R132
with a gradient of less that 1:20 (subject to confirmation of detailed traffic
engineering design).
DESIGN
● The width of The Rise street will be 12-14m (width subject to engineering
requirements for bus access).
● The street shall have a continuous façade height of between 12 and 15m.
S W O R D S M A S T E R P L A N
● This street shall be covered by a ‘shelter structure’. The shelter structure
shall not be sealed off at either end by an enclosing element ensuring
continued permeability and accessibility within this area.
● Street façade extends above parapet height as a series of intermittent
gables and landscape elements.
● Building height, orientation and width of the street shall ensure daylight and
sunlight within the street, while minimishing overshadowing.
● Materials and finishes to the street shall be designed to reflect the
character of an external street capable of taking vehicular traffic.
USES
● Active ground floor uses shall be required.
● Foyers and entrances to larger office buildings shall be facilitated.
● The Rise shall facilitate pedestrian, cyclist and public transport access from
Malahide Road to the R132 and into the Barrysparks development area.
● Uses over the retail street shall form part of street façades creating points
of focal interest and passive supervision of the street. The location of
residential/office units above shall be co-orindated to ensure daylight/sunlight
to the street and minimise overshadowing.
● Landscaped courtyards will be made visible, providing opportunity for the
landscaping to become part of the street character.
Shop Street and Mall Street [see Plan and Cross Sections]
CHARACTER
● Shop Street shall link the primary streets of Central Street and The Rise and
will have restricted accessibility (minimum 18hr).
● Shop Street shall be a pedestrian only street.
DESIGN
● The width of Shop Street shall be 10-12m.
● The street shall have a continuous façade of 13 to 15m height.
● The street shall be covered by a shelter structure.
● Building façades above the retail street shall be set back to create a
stepped profile to street.
● Building height, orientation and width of the street shall ensure daylight and
sunlight within the street, while minimising overshadowing.
● Materials and finishes to the street shall be designed to have the character
of external street.
USES
● Active ground floor uses shall be required.
● Main circulation cores connecting all levels and residential entrances shall
be accommodated along Shop Street.
● Uses over the retail street shall form part of street façades creating points
of focal interest and passive supervision of the street. The location of
residential/office units above shall be co-orindated to ensure daylight/sunlight
to the street and minimise overshadowing.
Side Street [see Plan and Cross Sections]
Three streets identified on the plan are given the generic name ‘Side Street’. The
guidance hereunder refers to the basic parameters governing the design of each
of these streets.
6 7
CHARACTER
● Side Street is a small scale public route linking primary streets with north
and south edges. Side Street shall have 24hr accessibility and shall be
primarily pedestrian and catering cyclists.
DESIGN
● The width of Side Street shall be 8-10m.
● The profile of the street shall have a continuous façade, while street parapet
heights may vary but shall be smaller in scale than primary streets, circa.9-15m.
● This type of street shall be open (unsheltered).
● Building height, orientation and width shall ensure daylight and sunlight
within the street while minimising overshadowing.
● Materials and finishes shall be designed to reflect the use as an external street.
USES
● Active ground floor uses incorporating small scale retail service uses and
‘own door’ suites shall be accommodated.
● Residential entrances, casual recreation and specialist uses shall be
accommodated.
● Uses over the retail street shall form part of street façades creating points
of focal interest and passive supervision of the street. The location of
residential/office units above shall be co-orindated to ensure daylight/sunlight
to the street and minimise overshadowing.
South Street [see Plan and Sections]
CHARACTER
● South Street shall be a residential street, mediating between the suburban
scale of Carlton Court and the urban scale of the Town Centre.
● South Street shall be a public street with 24 hour accessibility which will cater
for pedestrians, cyclists, taxi and vehicular traffic. This street shall not be covered.
DESIGN
● The width of South Street shall be 13m.
● The profile of the street and height of buildings shall be constrained by the
need to create an edge treatment which responds to existing scale and
character of the existing adjoining and permitted residential development
within Carlton Court.
● The heights and layout of buildings will be restricted within parameters set
out in Edges Conditions: Southern Edge.
● A minimum 3m wide continuous densely planted tree screen and landscaped
corridor shall be provided at the edge with Carlton Court residential
development (see Edge Conditions: Southern Edge). The layout of buildings will
provide opportunity for integrating tree planting into streetscape creating a
green corridor while creating a softer landscape edge to existing Carlton Court.
● The residential street shall act as an active edge and screen to the retail
development behind.
● The residential units shall be 1, 2 and 3 storey and shall reflect the scale
and form of existing and permitted neighbouring housing.
USES
● A mix of own door unit types shall be provided, with provision for community
facilities, such as a crèche.