Limerick's Summer in the City initiative is facing criticism from some retailers, who say temporary road closures during August will damage trade.
Mayor of Limerick John Moran says the initiative is about reimagining public spaces and encouraging people to spend more time in the city centre.
One of the centrepieces of Summer in the City is an urban beach on Steamboat Quay, where sand, deckchairs and kites now overlook the River Shannon.
"It's incredible," said Eoin Devereux who visited the beach today. "It's great to try new ideas to revitalise the city."
However, the temporary closure of The Crescent on O'Connell Avenue - a main thoroughfare leading into the city from Dooradoyle and Raheen - is a cause for concern among retailers.
The Crescent hosted a preview of next week's Obstacle Course Racing World Championships today, ahead of the international event coming to Limerick.
The Limerick City Traders Association say the disruption comes at a difficult time for city centre businesses.
"We have three pedestrianised streets that are suffering from low footfall - Bedford Row, Thomas Street and Cruises Street," said shopkeeper, Shane Gleeson. "We'd love to see a lot more action down those streets so perhaps activities could be transferred down there where it would help the shops."
The latest GeoDirectory figures show Limerick had the highest commercial vacancy rate in Munster at the end of last year.
Retailers say they are already battling competition from out-of-town retail parks and online shopping, making every customer visit more important than ever.
Limerick Chamber chief economist, Seán Golden, said one of the city's biggest challenges is its high level of visible commercial vacancy.
"One of the biggest issues in Limerick is the visible vacancy," he said. "It's not hidden – it's very observable when you walk around the city centre."
Mr Golden said increasing the number of people living in the city centre is a key priority for the Chamber, arguing that a larger residential population would boost footfall and reduce reliance on the suburbs.
He said there was strong support from members of Limerick Chamber to the Mayor's summer plans, including on The Crescent, "even though it was seen as disruptive".
Mayor Moran hopes Summer in the City will encourage more people into Limerick.
For retailers, however, the success of the initiative will ultimately be measured not in footfall, but in what those visitors spend.
