PRD is currently part of an international team conducting a five-year longitudinal study into the impacts of placemaking and public realm investment at Wilton Park, a major regeneration project in Dublin.

IPUT Real Estate is Dublin’s largest commercial real estate developer – a long-term investor in the built environment with a track record of almost 60 years of responsible investment in Ireland. In redeveloping its Wilton Park estate, which includes a 650,000 ft² (60,387 m²) mixed use scheme and upgrades to a one-acre (0.405 ha) city park, IPUT is seeking to understand and measure the social, cultural, economic, and environmental impact of investments at Wilton Park over a five-year period. While construction is due to complete in early 2024, a comprehensive programme of placemaking has been underway at the site since 2021, including providing free artists’ workspace, outdoor events, and public art installations.

PRD is working in collaboration with Hassell, an international architecture, design, and research practice, and Gehl, people-centred urban design specialists. The PRD team is supporting across the project, conducting both engagement (a mix of workshops, on-site perception surveys, and stakeholder interviews) and technical work to measure impact. The project team developed 73 bespoke metrics across 18 measurement areas to track impact. A yearly research report detailing how the development is progressing against these metrics will be published every Autumn. Year one of the research is now complete and the research report can be downloaded from IPUT’s website.