This week, we delve into the growing crisis facing Dublin’s city center, exploring the troubling "donut effect" where the heart of the city becomes hollowed out due to rising crime, unaffordable rents, and a lack of residential footfall. Drawing parallels to the decline of once-thriving cities like San Francisco, we examine how Dublin’s vibrant center is at risk of becoming a ghost town. With commercial property vacancies on the rise and locals increasingly avoiding the city, the stats paint a worrying picture: a 2.5% decline in hospitality spending, 40% of people cutting back on visits, and a nightlife sector that’s half the size of New Zealand’s. The discussion highlights the urgent need for bold, strategic interventions—like the tax-driven revitalization of the 90s—to prevent Dublin from slipping into irreversible decline. Without decisive action, the vibrant, living city we know could soon be a thing of the past.

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