TOBIN’s Water & Utilities incorporates a specialist team of professionals responsible for our Public Realm and Urban Regeneration work. This Public Realm Team covers a broad range of project types from large scale assignments (overhauls of entire town centres) to smaller undertakings for specific streets, laneways and public facilities (essentially any urban spaces that could be accessed by the public).
The services that we provide in this specialist area (design, project/cost management, Employer’s Rep’ and PSDP) take both the culture and the history of the town or urban setting into account while progressing the given space to promote accessibility, utilisation and aesthetics.
Featured Project Examples
Galway City Centre Enhancement Scheme
Galway City Council, as the Authority responsible for the upkeep of Galway City’s public infrastructure, undertook a project for the overall regeneration of Galway City Centre’s public realm. The scheme was required to rejuvenate and upgrade this primary retail and tourism destination. The project works have dramatically improved both pedestrian and vehicular movement, enhancing shoppers, visitors, and the business community’s experience of Galway City.
Shop Street was primarily identified as requiring priority repairs and remediation as vehicle damage associated with goods deliveries had taken their toll on the pavement.
Tubbercurry Public Realm Enhancement Project
This project comprises of the redevelopment of “Mary Brennans’” building into a multi-use public facility, public realm enhancements to Wolfe Tone Square, including increased pedestrian areas and landscaping and road and lighting upgrades to improve safety and accessibility. This redevelopment retains the historical façade while modernising the building’s functionality, preserving cultural heritage while providing new community amenities.
Kilkenny Kieran Street & Market Yard Public Realm Enhancement Project
This project involves the enhancement of Kieran Street and Market Yard to improve the pedestrian experience and urban aesthetics, the development of green spaces and pedestrian-friendly areas and infrastructure upgrades including lighting, drainage and utilities.
Kingscourt Public Realm
This project focuses on the refurbishment and adaptation of historical buildings, preserving cultural heritage while providing modern amenities at Kingscourt.
Limerick Laneways
TOBIN are supporting Limerick City and County Council in a very ambitious project to rejuvenate and reimagine Limerick’s city centre laneways.
The aim of this development is to transform the area into a desirable place to live; delivering compact, low-carbon growth by boosting the city centre population and, in doing so, attracting businesses to take up vacant units and private investment for refurbishment and development. However, the overall aim is to create city centre public spaces which support a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle, including encouraging people to walk and cycle, enhancing access to nature, limiting air and noise pollution, and supporting an active social/community life.
Roscommon Town Public Realm
TOBIN is responsible for commissioning the required feasibility and survey work, undertaking the drainage design, and for assisting with the contract administration of the public realm works on site in Roscommon Town for this development.
A key part of this overarching vision is to re-imagine Roscommon Town as a more compact, connected, walkable and sustainable place for people to live, work and visit. The project also provides an opportunity to re-stitch Roscommon’s historic townscape, re-establish some of its traditional outdoor functions as well as create a vibrant functional and meaningful human scale, high-quality public realm for the town centre.