1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Dublin (FUA) Region Europe Short description of the intervention Corkagh Park, spanning 120 hectares, holds significant historical and cultural value for the local community of Clondalkin. The park offers an extensive range of facilities, including football pitches, a newly redeveloped playground, baseball pitches, cricket amenities, and a purpose-built road cycling track. Over the past two years, Corkagh Park has experienced a notable increase in footfall and usage as visitors are drawn to its expansive open spaces. With its rich vegetation, open wetlands, and rolling hills, Corkagh Park provides a unique environment that caters to both wildlife and human visitors. Since its establishment as a public park in 1986, the park’s vast open spaces have served the local community and attracted visitors from the broader region. Currently, Corkagh Park is surrounded by the Village of Clondalkin and nearby residential developments. Currently the park goes through a redevelopment process that involves redesign of several areas including introduction of native vegetation. The enhancement of the park is led by the South Dublin County Council and will feature a central hub area at the heart of the park. This hub will feature a coffee shop, an event space, additional seating, and new play areas. Enhancements to the Fairy Woodland Trail will include additional play elements and seating, as well as a new pedestrian pathway linking the lakes, while maintaining and safeguarding the existing mature trees. The project also includes the felling of ash trees affected by Ash Dieback, with these trees being replaced by native specimens to sustain the park’s ecological integrity. Native edge planting buffers will be established to reduce noise from the N7 and promote local biodiversity. Additionally, the project will address the existing car parks by implementing necessary improvements to better accommodate the park’s visitors. (4, 6) Website of the intervention https://www.sdcc.ie/en/services/sport-and-recreation/parks/corkagh-park.html Principal problems Environmental Degradation Biodiversity loss Land use and Socio-economic change Rapid urbanization Health, Well-being and Social cohesion Inadequate access to recreational opportunities Loss of sense of place and identity Implementation area characterization Climate Temperate ( Humid subtropical, Hot-summer Mediterranean, Warm-summer Mediterranean, Warm-temperate with dry winter) Ecosystem Urban or built environment Address Naas Rd, Newlands Cross Dublin Ireland Location The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by). Area boundary (map-based) NBS area image Source of NBS area image Ref. 3 (CORKAGH PARK ENHANCEMENTS) Total area 120000.00m² NBS area 120000.00m² Area description Periurban (both urban and rural environments are present) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Public Greenspace Area Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2021 Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2023 End date of the intervention 2024 Present stage of the intervention Ongoing 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention To enhance the visitor experiences (tourism support) and interaction opportunities. To promote health and well-being facilities within the park by including walking and cycling routes, picnic areas, outdoor fitness equipment, and organized sports . To deliver a multi-functional destination space for events of various scales. To engage with local and regional visitors, aligning projects with community aspirations. To create year-round destinations for events and recreational activities. To improve legibility and wayfinding in the park, promoting universal accessibility while respecting Corkagh Park's historic landscape. To protect, enhance, and promote the park's natural assets, increasing local biodiversity and preserving heritage. (4) Key Priorities Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration) Social Justice and community Sustainability challenge(s) addressed Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Green space creation and/or management Habitat and biodiversity restoration Regeneration, land-use and urban development Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development Cultural heritage and cultural diversity Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure Health and well-being (SDG 3) Creation of opportunities for recreation Enabling opportunities for physical activity Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10) Social justice and equity Social interaction Economic development and employment (SDG 8) Tourism support What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention? Genetic-focused What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets? Restore native species Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities Main construction works at Corkagh Park began in August 2023 and are expected to continue for approximately 18 months. Given that Corkagh Park is a historic landscape, extensive archaeological investigations were necessary prior to construction. Initial investigations took place in Spring 2023, followed by additional excavations in July 2023, to ensure that no historical artifacts or structures, such as those associated with the Castle and Moated Site, were damaged. These excavations were conducted under an archaeological license granted by The National Monuments Service. Construction in the hub zone, which includes building a new purpose-built café, began in 2023 and will continue through 2024. This hub will serve as a central gathering area within the park, enhancing the visitor experience with amenities such as public toilets (temporary facilities are available during construction), a kitchen, storage space, and indoor seating. Meanwhile, installation of the play units for the Fairy Woodland Trail was completed in late 2022, with further groundwork, including both natural and formal play areas, scheduled to continue through 2024. This initiative is designed to enhance recreational opportunities and foster greater visitor engagement, particularly for children. Native hedge, shrub and trees will be introduced (3). Type of NBS project Maintenance and management of urban nature Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks) Protection of natural ecosystems Habitat restoration 3. NBS domains, ES and scale NBS domain and interventions Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented Parks and urban forests Large urban parks or forests Amenities offered by the NBS Benches and drinking water stations Playgrounds Sports areas and equipment Complementing infrastructure (bathrooms, café) Viewing and outlook points Design elements for well-being Visual elements (e.g., expansive views, scenic views, natural light, diverse vegetation) Auditory elements (e.g., birdsong, water features, quiet areas, rustling leaves) Olfactory elements (e.g., floral scents, earthy smells) Tactile elements (e.g., natural materials like wood or stone, exposure to sunlight) Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Regulating services Pollination Habitat and supporting services Habitats for species Cultural services Tourism Recreation Mental and physical health and wellbeing Social and community interactions Scale Spatial scale Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area The Clondalkin area is predominantly comprised of residents of Irish ethnicity. The area is classified as "Disadvantaged" on the HP Deprivation Index. The population is distributed across different deprivation levels, with 23.1% categorized as "Disadvantaged," 27.1% as "Marginally below average," and 19.0% as "Marginally above average" (7). Socio-economic profile of the area Low-income Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Unknown Primary Beneficiaries Citizens or community groups Young people and children Specify primary beneficiaries The project primarily benefits citizens, young people and children, focusing on enhancing the visitor experience in Corkagh Park by improving legibility and wayfinding and developing the park as a more appealing local and regional destination. These improvements are designed to make the park more accessible and enjoyable, provide better recreational opportunities, and foster a stronger sense of place for all who visit (5). Marginalized groups Unknown Other beneficiaries Local wildlife (e.g., birds, pollinators) Native plant vegetation Natural habitats (e.g. wetland, forests, coastal areas) Public health (e.g. increased physical activity opportunities, reduced stress) 4. Governance and financing Governance Governance arrangements Government-led Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative South Dublin County Council intend to enhance the visitor experience and create an exciting new Hub Zone as part of the Corkagh Regional Park Masterplan (5). Additionally, Brendan Merry & Partners are working with Building Design Partnership (BDP) to implement Public Realm Park Enhancements in Corkagh Park (6). Given the park's historical significance, archaeologists were involved to ensure that any excavation work respects the park's archaeological heritage, particularly in areas with known historical monuments (3). The project was submitted to public consultations in February 2022. (1) Key actors - initiating organization Local government/municipality Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Private sector/corporate actor/company Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping) Taskforce groups Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls) Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting) Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Unknown Land owners Public space owned by the city Policy drivers NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy Unknown NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan Unknown NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan Yes Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan" Corkagh Regional Park Masterplan 2020 (1) Relevant strategy or plan Other Please specify other local relevant strategy Park plan (1) Mandatory or voluntary intervention Mandatory (based on policy) Intervention is mandatory Spatial planning guidance Environmental regulation Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships) Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives. 2 private actors are involved in the proposed Corkagh Park (3) Governace and decison-making instruments Strategic instruments (e.g. GI strategies, green space strategy or plans) Public - private business agreement (e.g. public private collaborations, public-private-partnerships (PPP)) Arrangements for governance cooperation Task forces or commissions (e.g. group of multi-disciplinary experts) Barriers Unknown Financing Total cost More than €4,000,000 Please specify total cost (EUR) €5,000,000 million (1) Source(s) of funding Public local authority budget Type of fund(s) used Earmarked public budget Non-financial contribution Unknown Co-finance for NBS Unknown Entrepreneurship opportunities Unknown Business models Business models Green health model Green heritage model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Public actor (e.g. municipality) 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Green space and habitat Reduced biodiversity loss Expected reduced biodiversity loss Description of environmental benefits -Reduced biodiversity loss: "To Take Care to Enhance and Promote the Natural Assets of the Park while Increasing Local Biodiversity and Heritage." (Ref. 4 p. 4); "Felling of Ash trees that are suffering from Ash Dieback and replacement with native specimen trees. " (4, p.6) Economic impacts Unknown Description of economic benefits Unknown Social and cultural impacts Social justice and cohesion Improved social cohesion Expected improved social cohesion Improved access to urban green space Expected improved access to urban green space Increased opportunities for social interaction Expected increased opportunities for social interaction Health and wellbeing Gain in activities for recreation and exercise Expected gain in activities for recreation and exercise Improved physical health Expected improved physical health Cultural heritage and sense of place Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure Expected protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging Expected increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging Description of social and cultural benefits -Improved social cohesion: "Through careful consideration of all approaches, links and complimentary elements this will create a social cohesion within the park. Through enhanced signage and wayfinding, visitors will be directed to this space as a centre and encouraged to explore outwards from there." (Ref. 4 p.10) -Improved access to urban green space: "The addition of new pedestrian link for improved accessibility to and from the lakes." (Ref. 5 p.6) -Increased opportunities for social interaction: "The enhancement of this popular park feature will encourage more people to use and interact with this space. Some notable improvements include the addition of formal play equipment that encourage young users to explore and discover." (Ref. 5 p.21) -Gain in activities for recreation and exercise: "With a new appreciation for the great outdoors and what is offered by the park, it is anticipated that there will be increased usage of the park’s informal facilities such as walking and cycling routes, the picnic areas, outdoor f itness equipment as well as organised sports." (Ref. 5 p.5) -Improved physical health: "To Promote Health and Well-being Facilities." (Ref. 5 p.4) -Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure: "To protect, conserve and enhance the existing park heritage and culture." (Ref. 5 p. 11) -Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging: "Ornamental shrubs and grasses to enhance sense of place." (Ref. 5 p.6) Evidence for use of assessment Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process Unknown Presence of indicators used in reporting No evidence in public records Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports No evidence in public records Availability of a web-based monitoring tool No evidence in public records Name of any specific impact assessment tools Unknown Use of GIS in mapping impacts No evidence in public records Cost-benefit analysis Unknown Transparency Unknown Justice Community satisfaction Unknown Description of locals satisfaction with the project Unknown Trade-offs & Negative impacts Unknown Emphasis of existing social inequalities or injustices No information reported related to negative social justice-related impacts of the NBS project Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement No initiatives or policies were implemented High-quality & Transformative NBS Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community) No Goal setting and impacts delivery No, project goals were not set, and benefits were not delivered in all 3 key areas. Reaching original project goals Inconclusive as the project is still undergoing implementation, or is still on its planning stages Long-term perspective Unknown: No information about the project's long-term sustainability. Cost-effective solutions Unknown Equitable impacts C. Unknown Transformative capacity Social change (e.g. social relationships, networks and dynamics within them) Ecological change (e.g. ecosystem functions and their distribution) Magnitude of change Incremental: shallow; that is, mostly maintaining business-as-usual approaches to adaptation Application of lessons learned Unknown Perception of Environmental Change Unknown 6. Sources References 1. South Dublin County Council (2022). €5m scheme unveiled for Corkagh Park. South Dublin County Council, Accessed on September 2, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. South Dublin County Council (n.d.). WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?. South Dublin County Council, Accessed on September 2, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. South Dublin County Council (n.d.). Corkagh Park Enhancements. South Dublin County Council, Accessed on September 2, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. South Dublin County Council (2021). CORKAGH PARK ENHANCEMENTS PART VIII SUMMARY OF PROPOSALS DECEMBER 2021. South Dublin County Council, Accessed on September 2, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. South Dublin County Council (2021). CORKAGH REGIONAL PARK CORKAGH PARK ENHANCEMENTS. South Dublin County Council, Accessed on September 2, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 6. Brendan Merry & Partners (2023). March 2023 – Corkagh Park, Clondalkin, Dublin 22. Brendan Merry & Partners, Accessed on September 2, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 7. National Health Intelligence Unit (2024). Health Atlas Ireland Finder Population Profile Community Healthcare Network Clondalkin. National Health Intelligence Unit, Accessed on September 2, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Public Images Image New ‘hub zone’ to include a Café building and a multi-use events space and stage Ref. 4 Image Artistic impression of the Fairy Woodland Trail Ref. 4 Image Overall vision sketch Ref. 4
