Looking to interview residents of Dublin 12 regarding quality of life!

wakka12

Hi all,

I'm an architecture student currently doing my Master's thesis. My chosen theme is suburban development and it's associated ills ,such as lack of accessible local amenities, car reliance,and the limited housing typologies which can make suburban areas inaccessible to some demographics. Im considering how some of these problems might theoretically be improved .

I'm focusing on how this area could grow to overcome some of these issues without losing it's suburban character and while also being respectful to existing residents' land rights and their own personal needs and desires for their area. I think the best way of going about this would be to ask the residents themselves to see what they think, and to see if they agree that there is in fact any problem here at all in their minds.

I've chosen the area of Dublin 12 because of it's proximity to Dublin's centre and its origins as one of Dublins earliest suburbs and the garden city ideology which initially governed much of it's layout . What is unique about this area is also the pattern of development which is structurally and socially more similar to suburbs much further away from Dublin's centre compared to older suburbs like Rathmines which are also a similar distance from the city centre.




The more diverse the types of people I get the chance to speak to, the better! But of particular interest would be these groups:

- Older residents
I'd love to hear from somebody who has lived here long-term and has experienced social change within the area over the course of several generations and how this has affected their life and community,and also how they might foresee their life in the future here. Would down-sizing be something you'd seriously consider, what about social connections, do you feel more central gathering spaces are needed in the area for those without immediate family living with them?

-Residents with children
Do you feel this standardised suburban layout built to cater for the typical nuclear family unit is suitable for your current lifestyle today or could it be improved? Do you think the average Irish family lives very differently to how families did in the 40's when this district was developed, and should their homes today better reflect those changes ?

-It would also be great to hear from some younger residents just starting out on life, who might be in college but still living with their parents in the area or are in a house share with other students, how do you feel about living in this area which was originally built to cater to a family unit? Would you prefer to live in a more active/busy central location in the city, in a smaller housing type but with better access to amenities?

Id love to hear your thoughts , please do get in touch if youd like to help me out by telling me all you love about your area and how you think it could change for the better! If you would be up for meeting for a chat, that would be even better. Thanks