Branding is everywhere these days, even for areas, and while "SoHo" seems a peculiar choice for Dublin's south-west inner city - derived from its industrial heritage and the fact that it lies south of Heuston Station - there can be no dispute about the ambitious nature of Dublin City Council's plans for the area.
An urban transformation is already under way, notably along the Cork Street corridor, where new apartment buildings are springing up, and it is anticipated that the area's population of 25,000 could double within five years, reversing decades of decline. As much as €2 billion may be invested in and around the Liberties, with the prospect of creating up to 8,000 jobs, and the message being given to developers and prospective purchasers is that the planners "are determined to achieve high-quality, family-friendly development in the area", in the words of city manager John Fitzgerald.
The rejuvenation of Thomas Street will obviously be critical to the success of the plan. In that context, the City Council has reaffirmed its strong support of the National College of Art and Design remaining in the area and developing its full potential there, instead of relocating to the UCD campus in Belfield. That ill-conceived proposal must be dropped because it would be a tragedy for the inner city if the college were to follow UCD's own example of moving to the suburbs.
Plans to renovate the long-closed Iveagh Market in Francis Street as a food market akin to the English Market in Cork and to build a four-star hotel adjoining it should give the whole area a much-needed lift. So, too, will the redevelopment of run-down Fatima Mansions, which was recently approved by An Bord Pleanála.
New relationships will have to be forged between the indigenous community of the Liberties and newcomers buying or renting private apartments in the area. Lessons need to be learned from Temple Bar, where pubs were permitted to predominate, and from Docklands, where there is believed to be just one family with children living in any of the hundreds of apartments built there in recent years. The very progressive guidelines from Vancouver on high-density housing for families with children, highlighted in this newspaper, should be taken on board by the City Council and the Docklands Development Authority. Larger apartments are not enough on their own. There needs to be primary schools, playgrounds and sports facilities within walking distance - indeed, an entire environment created with children in mind - if we are really serious about having families living in the heart of the city.