Last updated: November 2024
In 2021-2022, the fenced grassy area beside the Ballyfermot Community Civic Centre was transformed into a welcoming 'people’s park'—an open green space for the community (2). Designed by Dublin City Council’s Parks, Biodiversity, and Landscape Services, the park reflects ideas from local residents gathered over eight months of on-site conversations and two community consultation events. The new park features a winding perimeter path, earth mounds planted with a variety of trees and plants for seasonal color, and infrastructure to support small community gatherings. An open pergola and a designated market space for food, plant, and craft markets provide inviting spots for social events. Along the park’s edge, a movement trail with playable elements for exercise and play adds a dynamic feature to the space. Furthermore, a Jackstraws See-Saw is ideal for older children to play in groups and learn about movement whilst also being a tremendous informal seating area for them to gather and chat. Trees cover the See-Saw, offering shade and shelter from the weather, making it a great social space all year round. A Rope Course provides a physical challenge for older children to climb and balance at height while exploring the area. Informal play opportunities are found throughout the park to, with trees, fallen logs, benches and planting that create sensory, imaginative and physical play experiences. (5-7) Additionally, an edible garden is planned to be developed collaboratively with local residents over the next 2-3 years (4).
Ballyfermot People's Park
Ref. 8
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Community gardens and allotments
- Community gardens
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Inclusive governance
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social cohesion
- Social interaction
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable production
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Agriculture/ crop production
- Limited economic opportunities and local livelihoods
- Rapid urbanization
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Physical health harm (from pollution, wildfire, extreme temperature)
- Mental health issues (stress, anxiety)
- Inadequate access to recreational opportunities
- Disconnection from nature
- Poor community engagement
Key priorities
Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration), Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of large parks and urban and peri-urban forests, Creation of areas for food production (community gardens, allotments), Maintenance and management of urban nature, Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks), Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Ecological restoration of existing green spaces, Protection of natural ecosystems, Habitat restoration, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Indigenous and community-based conservation initiatives, Improved governance of green or blue areas, Establishment of inclusive governance mechanisms involving local communities
Project objectives
To create a public space that reflects the ideas and needs of local residents and include the said residents in the design of the park through online and public consultations
To provide a space for physical activity and play that create sensory, imaginative and physical play experiences
To establish a venue for small community gatherings, markets, and events for social interaction
To introduce new native trees and herbaceous plants, enhancing the natural environment as well as a vegetable garden (4)
Implementation activities
Eight months of on-site conversations, one-on-one interviews, and two online consultation events were conducted to gather input from local residents, shaping the park's design and features (1).
The park includes gently rising earth mounds planted with trees and plants with over 100 trees planted, intended to last over 200 years. Additionally, the area provides designated parts for play, community gatherings, and outdoor performances, including a movement trail and a market space for food, plant, and craft markets (4). A public sculpture titled Éirímís – Together We Rise, developed in collaboration with the community, was commissioned to symbolize community resilience and spirit (2). A vegetable patch and edible garden will be developed with local residents over the next 2-3 years (4).
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Restore native species
- Restore ecological connectivity
- Public engagement
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Non-government organisation/Civil Society
- Citizens or community groups
- Food producers and cultivators (i.e. farmers, gardeners)
- Young people and children
- Marginalized groups: Children, young people or youth groups , People with invisible disabilities, Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed)
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
- Citizens or community group
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Local residents and community groups were actively involved in the project through consultations and feedback sessions. Dublin City Council and Dublin City Council Parks, Biodiversity and Landscape Services are responsible for overseeing the planning, design, and implementation of the park (1). Artist Breda Marron was involved in creating public art for the park (2). The Ballyfermot Social Enterprise Centre, along with the Civic Centre and the National Learning Network Centre on Kylemore Road, are community institutions that will benefit from and contribute to the park's development, providing new opportunities for local businesses, social enterprises, and educational activities (6).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Type of enablers
NGOs/Community groups driving the implementation
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
- Expected increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
- Reduced biodiversity loss
- Expected reduced biodiversity loss
- Increased number of species present
- Expected increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Increased market share for green economies
- Expected increased market share for green economies
Socio-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
- Improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Expected improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
- Expected increased support for education and scientific research
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
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
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
Dublin City Council (n.d.). People's Park, Ballyfermot. Dublin: Dublin City Council, Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Sculpture Dublin (n.d.). Ballyfermot People's Park. Dublin: Sculpture Dublin, Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link];
3.
OMOS (n.d.). Ballyfermot People’s Park. OMOS, Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Dublin City Council (2020). The Ballyfermot People’s Park. Dublin City Council, Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Nevin, E. (2022). New People's Park opens in Ballyfermot. DublinLive, Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Finnan, S. (2020). Designs Unveiled for New People’s Park Set to Be Built in Ballyfermot. Dublin Inquirer, Accessed on September 10, 2024,;
7.
Mooney, S. (2022). Dublin's newest park opens to the public. BreakingNews, Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Dunne, T., Sant'Anna, M. (n.d.). Google Maps Ballyfermot People's Park. Google Maps, Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link];
9.
Ballyfermot Star (n.d.). Ballyfermot Star Strategic Plan 2017 – 2021. Ballyfermot Star, Accessed on September 11, 2024, [Source link];
10.
Dublin City Council (n.d.). BALLYFERMOT PEOPLE’S PARK. Dublin: Dublin City Council, Accessed on September 11, 2024, [Source link];
Concept visual
Ref. 4
The Ballyfermot People’s Park Plan
Ref. 4
Ballyfermot Park
https://www.timberplayireland.ie/case-studies/ballyfermot-people-s-park
Ballyfermot Park
https://www.timberplayireland.ie/case-studies/ballyfermot-people-s-park
Ballyfermot Park
https://www.timberplayireland.ie/case-studies/ballyfermot-people-s-park
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.