Taking it to the streets: Making public space in Ireland beyond COVID-19

When the Irish government announced the country’s first ‘full lockdown’ on 27 March 2020, people’s relationship to public space became unprecedently complex. From a legislative perspective, the use of public space was discouraged, whether through mandatory social distancing, a ban on public gatherings of any size, or a restriction on travelling more than two kilometres from one’s home for outdoor exercise. However, while the conditions under which citizens could use public spaces narrowed, our perceived value of those same spaces appeared to broaden. Simple acts such as walking along a local street for errands, jogging through a local park for fresh air, or cycling along a greenway, became reassuring reminders that life existed beyond the home. The urban fabric we once took for granted became a quiet, but still present reminder, that we belonged to a shared community, and that despite the upheaval of the pandemic, life goes on. 

Read the full article in the September-October edition of Architecture Ireland (RIAI Journal)