Chapter 5 - Urban Design Town Centre and Regeneration

5.0  Introduction – Historic and recent development trends 

As discussed in Chapter 2, the urban development of Carlow-Graiguecullen has its origins in the medieval period, with evidence of this historic fabric most visible in Carlow Castle, and in the layout of Dublin Street, the western part of Tullow Street, Castle Street, and Charlotte Street.  The medieval footprint of the urban area would have been confined to the north bank of the Burren River and separated from the castle by a marsh known as the Moreen.  The castle was separated from the urban area until the Moreen was reclaimed in the early 18th century.   
 

Up until the beginning of the 18th century the urban area had not extended significantly beyond its original medieval built form.  However, Graiguecullen and Burrin Street were two exceptions in this regard, and it is likely their development arose during the 16th century and followed the construction of bridges over the River Barrow and Burren River. The houses in the medieval part of the urban area have been replaced and rebuilt over the centuries, the earliest surviving house occupying Nos. 16/17 Dublin Street and bearing a plaque dated 1699. In 1731 Brown Street was extended eastwards to join College Street, and in the same period Castle Street joined the castle directly to the urban area.  

Fig. 5.1: Extract from Charles Columbine’s map of Carlow Town 1735, College Street identified as ‘Chapel Lane’ and ‘Graige’ detailed in ‘Queen’s County’ and on ‘Road to Maryburrow’ - (Source: libguides.ucd.ie)

There are many buildings surviving from the late 18th and early 19th centuries which appears to have been a period of expansion in the urban area.  Montgomery Street and Pembroke Street were laid out in the early 18th Century, the latter formerly having been a private road.  The majority of the landmark public buildings in the urban area also date from this period.  After the first few decades of the 19th century there was little expansion on the outskirts of the urban area.  However, by the late 19th century and early 20th century a number of local authority housing schemes had been developed.  The 20th century also heralded a new period of growth for the urban area the beginning of which can be attributed to the opening of the Carlow Sugar Factory, and later in the 1970s was reflected in the arrival of Braun and Lapple, and in the opening of Carlow Regional Technical College (RTC) as a higher education institution (now SETU).  

Figure 5.2:  1844 Map clearly depicting the then built form of Carlow-Graiguecullen
(Source: Carlow Central Library).  

Carlow-Graiguecullen’s suburban footprint largely has its origins from the 1960s, when more low-density and car-oriented developments began to  appear along key approach roads to the joint urban area.  Most of the population of the joint urban area now resides in residential estates which spread outwards from the traditional urban centre, and which are in many cases disconnected from the urban centre and community facilities.  This suburban pattern of development was reinforced by the building boom of the early 2000’s which witnessed the emergence of new residential, retail, and commercial developments in more peripheral and car dependent locations.  Planning policy and measures aimed at prioritising and supporting urban regeneration, compact growth, and active travel, will therefore be key mechanisms to tackle legacies of the built environment, thereby ensuring the protection and enhancement of vitality and vibrancy of the joint urban area.  

5.1 Urban Design and Placemaking 

Urban design deals with the arrangement, appearance, and function of built environments such as Carlow-Graiguecullen.  It is critical to the creation of liveable, sustainable urban areas that meet the needs of local communities.  At its core is the placemaking or people-centred design approach (See Fig. 5.3), which priorities the needs of people over cars, buildings, and other infrastructure.  This approach contributes to the development of more accessible and inclusive urban environments that have a sense of identity, and facilitate opportunities to reduce car dependency, support active travel, promote urban greening, and encourage social interaction. 
 

Carlow County Council and Laois County Council have in their respective County Development Plans, prepared a suite of urban design policies, objectives, and related provisions to support and promote good urban design and quality placemaking, which should be read in conjunction with this chapter of the JULAP1.     

5.2 Key Urban Design Principles

This JULAP places a particular emphasis on encouraging design-led and responsive approaches to urban regeneration in Carlow-Graiguecullen. The key urban design principles listed below (1-11) should inform and act as a guide for all development proposals in the joint urban area: 
 

1. Character: Aim to create identity and character that reinforces locally distinctive patterns of development and landscape.

2. Maintain and Consolidate: Maintain the core of the urban area while avoiding developments that cause sprawl or decentralising core functions. 

3. Expansion:  Allow expansion where it does not have a negative impact on the existing urban centre or overall settlement fabric.

4. Urban Regeneration: Prioritise the reuse, refurbishment, and redevelopment of existing buildings and sites to ensure the most efficient use of land in the joint urban area.

5. Continuity and Enclosure: Ensure that public and private spaces that are clearly distinguished, and continuity of street frontages and enclosure of space by the built form, is achieved.

6. Public Realm: Quality of public spaces and routes that are attractive, safe, uncluttered, and work effectively for all, including older people and people with disabilities.

7. Livable Environments: Encourage walkable environments which facilitate access to public transport in order to reduce reliance on the private car, as well as the provision of a well-connected open space network.

8. Accessibility and Connectivity: Provide opportunities for permeability to form new or to strengthen existing connections.

9. Mobility:  Prioritise pedestrian and cyclist movement and facilitate connectivity and permeability through the urban environment.

10. Variety and Viability:  Promote choice through a mix of compatible developments and uses that work together to ensure places respond to local needs, as well as providing for diverse and inclusive communities.

11. Environmental Sustainability: Enhance local ecology by promoting biodiversity, by allowing new wildlife habitats to establish and protect existing ones.