The Dublin City Knowledge Hub represents the first stage in an innovative initiative to make authoritative public data more accessible to policymakers, elected members, community organisations, researchers and the public, by bringing together over 20 interactive dashboards and mapping applications in a single location.

The online platform enables users to explore and better understand local conditions across Dublin City. It has been designed as a practical evidence base to support informed decision-making across a wide range of sectors. All data published through the Hub is drawn from public sources, including the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Pobal, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and Geological Survey Ireland.

By bringing these datasets together in a single, easy-to-use platform, the project demonstrates the value of the reuse of publicly funded data and supports the objectives of Ireland’s National Open Data Strategy. The Hub is the first initiative of its kind developed by a local authority in Ireland, providing an integrated collection of interactive local-level dashboards and mapping applications covering such a broad range of topics. It establishes an important foundation for evidence-based planning, service delivery and policy development across the city.

The platform has also been designed with future development in mind. As new datasets become available, including results from Census 2027, the Knowledge Hub will continue to expand, providing an evolving evidence base to support decision-making over the coming years.

BETTER PUBLIC DATA PARTNERSHIP 

The Dublin City Knowledge Hub has been developed through a long-standing collaboration between Dublin City Council and the All-Island Research Observatory (AIRO) at Maynooth University. The initiative reflects a shared commitment to improving access to public data and supporting better-informed decisions through innovative digital tools.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Daryl Barron, said that the hub now provides an important new resource for understanding the changing social, economic, housing and environmental characteristics of Dublin City. “Making high-quality local data more accessible, the platform will support better planning, more informed decision-making and greater public understanding of the city and its communities. This is great new tool that will support both DCC in our work but also provides a useful resource for many of our stakeholders that operate in all areas across the city.”

Justin Gleeson, Director of the All-Island Research Observatory (AIRO) at Maynooth University, added that it demonstrates what can be achieved through collaboration between local government and the research sector.  “By bringing together authoritative public datasets in an accessible and interactive format, the platform makes local evidence available to a much wider audience and provides a strong foundation for future planning, research and community engagement. It’s brilliant to see Dublin City Council taking the lead on this new initiative – the combination of solid data and excellent visualisation tools make this a great resource.”

HUB POINTS TO DETAILED INFORMATION

The platform provides information at Local Electoral Area, Dublin City Committee Area and Small Area level (local areas with approximately 75 households), allowing users to examine local patterns across the city. The Hub includes detailed information on:

• Population and demographic profiles, including age structure and population change.
• Citizenship, ethnicity and other social characteristics.
• Health and wellbeing indicators.
• Income and deprivation measures.
• Housing activity, including planning permissions, commencements and completions.
• Residential property prices for new and second-hand homes based on the Property Price Register.
• Environmental indicators covering a range of themes across Dublin City and the wider region.

The All-Island Research Observatory (AIRO) at Maynooth University undertakes contracted applied research projects in socio-demographic and economic analysis, spatial planning and environmental analysis. AIRO also provides access to a range of free data visuals and mapping toolkits designed to improve evidence informed planning in Ireland.

AIRO is the leading spatial analysis and planning unit within the Maynooth University Social Science Institute (MUSSI). Operating since 2006, the unit is now recognised as a national leader in spatial analysis and socio-economic research in Ireland. In addition to supporting Maynooth University on internal data analytics projects, the AIRO team collaborates with government departments, regional authorities and local authorities across Ireland to support policy and planning initiatives.