Dublin, Ireland

Dublin
Population: City: 505,739 Metro: 1,661,185
Founded: 841

Dublin as expected was quite a change from Hong Kong. As my first European city it was sort of both exactly as I expected and yet somewhat suprising. One thing I was suprised about is how small the city actually is. It's possible to walk from one side to the other in about 30 minutes. Being my first European city I have a feeling some of my initial observations will become reocurring themes, but it will be interesting to see how each city responds to these issues.

I guess before I get to the issues I ought to say that Dublin is an amazing city. It's vibrant, the buildings are all well maintained, the entire city is walkable, and infact not only would it be difficult to drive, many streets are pedestrian friendly which I think is a great idea. The city is beautiful, streets lined with ornate stone buildings and authentic pubs and restaurants. There is also a number of public parks and it is very obvious that this is a city built for the human scale.

However dispite this it doesn't feel like a city to me, but more of a neighborhood. It's funny because I have come to realize that I like urban neighborhoods better than downtown areas, however it does seem strange to me to not have much of a cbd, in the sense that I am used to. This to me sort of creates the problem that tokyo has on a much smaller scale and that is that there is no obvious city center. \i guess there is no reason why you need one, I just feel like somethings missing when it's not there. Dublin has tried to solve this problem by putting a tall thin metal spire in its central square. I actually like this alot for a variety of reasons. First I think it does help to sort of place a mark on where the city center really is. Also its modern and interesting, but it doesn't detract from the cities historic qualities or stand out too much. The reason I like it the most though is as a landmark for way finding. In a city of constant cornice heights, no street signs, and a mideval street network, it's hard to really have much sense of direction. The spire does however, provide some point of refernece, so atleast you can always find your way back to the city center.

One part of the city that really bothered me was trinity college. The long room of the library that you always see was amazing, but they wouldnt let you take pictures. I feel like after you pay to see something, you should be able to take pictures.. but what really got me about the college was that it had pristine grass lawns and quads, but they were fenced off and had signs not to use them. Whats the point in green space if it can't be used. The college was also walled off from the rest of the city, which i imagine is more historical than anything, but I really just felf like the college was turning its back on the city.

Dublin does have a light rail system, but it seems fairly limited. The buses are efficient and run often, but are confusing to use.

What I found most interesting about the city, perhaps because it was one of the themes of my immersion library, but never the less I think it's a question with out an answer and that is how does old meet new. With all of these amazing old buildings, how do you incorporate growth and development. I think its clear that the city has zoning laws in place to keep skyscrapers out and also to make new buildings use similar materials. A number of new buildings were clearly modern representations of the neighboring historic facades. While I love the way the older buildings form a streetscape, I have begun to realize that you cannot simply hold on to the past in fear of screwing it up. The world is changing and a viable city needs to be able to as well. The question is though, how will european cities respond to their rich traditions. This is one of those questions with no answer, but personally I think it lies in the massine. If a building is massed the same as those around it, atleast it contributes to the streetscape. A problem though might arise when a form is flawed or no longer viable. This issue will be one which I watch very closely as I travel europe and hopefully I will find some good solutions.

In closing, dublin is an amazing city, but its not very big. Also all of the parts are very similar, so I wonder how long it would be able to hold your interest. At any rate it's hard too find too much fault in much more than the rediculous prices and the city is well worth the visit.