Dublin

The Dublin Fingal Living Lab is a core component of the periASTY project, focused on transforming peri-urban areas into climate-neutral zones through integrated mobility and energy solutions.

The Living Lab is situated in Fingal County, located in the northern part of the Greater Dublin Area. Specifically, the project highlights the following areas:

Balbriggan: A primary focus area, as it is home to the Balbriggan Sustainable Energy Community (BASEC) and is designated as a Decarbonising Zone.
Peri-urban Commuter Belts: The lab targets the broader peri-urban regions of Fingal that serve as essential residential hubs for people commuting into Dublin city.
Industrial Clusters: The lab also integrates commercial and industrial zones, such as the Stephenstown Industrial Estate in Balbriggan, to explore circular economy and green energy solutions.

The area is characterised by high levels of private vehicle use and “urban-periurban road congestion”. While there are existing bike-sharing (BleeperBike, Lime) and PT services, they are not fully synchronised with commuter rail schedules or on-demand services.

In addition, Fingal is currently monitoring air quality and traffic flow data but lacks the integrated smart grids needed for widespread decarbonisation. BASEC is working to engage the community, but the implementation of shared energy assets is still in early stages.

The Dublin Fingal area faces several challenges that the Living Lab aims to address:

Transport Inefficiency: Public transport (PT) is often inadequate for the dispersed demand of peri-urban areas, leading to long transfer times and high car dependency.
First/Last-Mile Connectivity: Commuters face significant “gaps” in reaching high-capacity rail lines (like the Dublin-Belfast line) from their homes
Energy Poverty and Fossil Fuel Reliance: Many residential areas still rely on traditional, high-carbon energy sources for heating and electricity, with limited infrastructure for renewable energy sharing.
Safety for Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs): A lack of safe, integrated infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians discourages active travel.

The Living Lab’s central problem is the unconnected nature of mobility and energy systems in Fingal’s peri-urban sprawl. Low population density makes traditional public transport economically difficult, resulting in heavy road congestion and high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Additionally, the lack of a structured framework for Local Energy Communities (LECs) prevents residents and businesses from collectively transitioning to clean energy and reducing energy costs.

Thanks to the periASTY project, the Fingal area is expected to transform into a “climate-neutral peri-urban ecosystem” with the following characteristics:

Seamless Multimodal Mobility: Residents will use a single app to access synchronized on-demand shuttles, e-scooters, and bikes that align perfectly with train arrivals, reducing travel time and car use.
Vibrant Local Energy Communities (LECs): Neighborhoods like Balbriggan will feature shared renewable energy systems (e.g., solar PV on public and industrial buildings) where residents can trade surplus energy, lowering bills and reaching net-zero targets.
Green Industrial Clusters: Commercial zones will operate on circular economy principles, reusing heat and waste, and attracting “green” investment.

Topics covered

Mobility

Energy

Governance

Innovations to be demostrated

AI-based Safety Tool: A generative AI-driven navigation and safety tool for vulnerable road users (VRUs), such as cyclists and pedestrians, which utilises mounted cameras to identify and mitigate road risks.
Smart Bike Library: An expansion of existing bike-sharing services (e.g., Bleeper) into a “Bike Library” model, aimed at providing long-term or flexible access to e-bikes and cargo bikes for peri-urban commuters.
Local Energy Community (LEC) Integration: Demonstration of energy sharing and sufficiency measures within the Balbriggan Sustainable Energy Community (BASEC), focusing on reducing fossil fuel reliance.
Green Industrial Park Pilot: Leveraging the Stephenstown Industrial Estate in Balbriggan to test circular economy marketplaces and urban mining for construction materials.

1.Technological & Innovation Outcomes

AI-based Safety Tool: Development and deployment of a generative AI-driven navigation tool that uses cameras mounted on e-bikes to monitor interactions with other road users, identify hazard hotspots, and suggest safer routes for cyclists.
Smart Bike Library: An expanded “Bike Library” operated by Bleeper, offering a fleet of conventional, electric, and cargo bikes to provide flexible, long-term alternatives to car ownership for commuters and students.
Sustainable Energy Community (SEC) Advancement: Formal advancement of the Balbriggan Sustainable Energy Community (BASEC) through the development of a local renewable energy investment plan and the testing of energy sufficiency measures to reduce local demand.
Multimodal Hubs: Implementation of concepts to synchronize shared mobility services (bikes, cargo bikes) with public transport, aiming to improve connectivity to the Dublin-Belfast rail line.

2. Research & Planning Outcomes

FUA Metabolism Analysis: A comprehensive synthesis and “metabolism analysis” of the Dublin/Fingal peri-urban area to understand its unique urban-rural dynamics, energy production, and mobility poverty.
Spatial Growth Models: Development of tailored spatial growth and green infrastructure models (led by UCD) to forecast the impact of decarbonization and planning interventions in the Fingal region.
Social Acceptance Data: Completion of a survey with approximately 100 local participants (workers, students, and cyclists) to measure the social embracement and behavioral shifts triggered by the project’s solutions.

3. Measurable Impact Targets (KPIs)

Mobility Efficiency: A reduction in multimodal transfer waiting times by 30% and an overall reduction in door-to-door travel time by 30%.
Shift to Sustainable Transport: An increase in sustainable transport usage (cycling and shared mobility) by 30% within the targeted peri-urban zones.
Safety Improvement: A 30% improvement in road safety for vulnerable road users (VRUs) through the use of the AI safety tool.
Decarbonisation: A 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the local demonstration area compared to the baseline.

4. Governance & Capacity Outcomes

Integrated Multi-sectoral Plan: Creation of a formal plan for the Dublin Functional Urban Area (FUA) that integrates transport and energy planning to break down existing departmental silos.
Stakeholder Training: Provision of training for at least 25 local stakeholders (including council staff and community leaders) through the periSKILLS Academy on how to implement and fund net-zero solutions.