M‑CO was engaged by Kildare County Council to prepare a Town Renewal Health Check for Kildare Town on the eve of the first of the new series of Town Renewal Health Checks taking place across the country. The objective of this Health Check was to assess the vitality and viability of the town, informing opportunities for regeneration. We produced behavioural maps identifying patterns of use; produced quantitative maps (using ArcGIS) showing vacancy rates, public space, car parking and so on; and benchmarked the town against other ‘healthy’ towns using Jan Gehl’s qualitative assessment criteria.
We were also commissioned to prepare a concept and development strategy for an 18-acre site at Cherry Avenue owned by Kildare County Council, identified as a key opportunity. Through a stakeholder engagement process which included an online survey, pop-up public information sessions and one-to-one interviews with key stakeholders in the community, the optimal use for the site was defined as a public park. Following a very successful presentation to county councillors, the decision was made to progress with detailed design of the scheme to prepare it for a full Part 8 planning application by KCC, with a view toward developing the park on a phased basis as funding becomes available.