Online teenage consultations help to shape spaces to meet

TEENAGERS around South Dublin County are helping shape spaces where they can meet with friends and engage in unstructured physical activity in an outdoor environment, with an additional €900k allocated to deliver new locations.

Aimed at 13- to 19-year-olds, the idea behind the Teenspace programme is to create a series of meeting places for teenagers to hang out and socialise, “without fear of being asked to move on”.

These Teenspace areas include multi-use game areas, calisthenics, Parkour, Teqball football tables, speaker posts to play music and informal seating.

At the December meeting of South Dublin County Council, the authority detailed how it had engaged teenagers through online consultations to ensure the spaces are meeting the needs of those who use them.

As a result of the success in delivering locations at Collinstown Park and Tandy’s Park, the council has announced that it has allocated an additional €900k and added eight locations to the programme.

Carrigmore Park, Rathcoole Park, Clondalkin, Griffeen Valley Park (Northern section), Sean Walsh Park, Dodder Valley Park (Western and Eastern sections) and Whitechurch are the locations added to the initiative.

In the review of the completed projects, teenagers said they enjoyed having places to socialise and relax in a safe area designated to them.

The seating, unstructured activity and music-post provisions were popular activities in the feedback provided.

“In terms of changes to the design of the spaces; the amount and variety of seating was requested to be increased, with consideration of basket swings and sheltered areas,” the council said.

South Dublin County Council intends to “take the feedback on board” and are planning to continue engaging with teenagers in each location.

Engaging with teenagers at the different locations will aide the council with the design process, to “make sure the facilities respond to the needs in each area”.