Today Councillor Frank McAveety, Glasgow City Council’s Leader, launched the next stage of the city’s ten year regeneration strategy alongside MVRDV co-founder Winy Maas and Austin-Smith:Lord partner Graham Ross.
This next stage of the Glasgow City Centre Districts Regeneration Framework focuses on four of the nine districts within the city centre: Broomielaw, Blythswood, Central and St. Enoch. MVRDV and Austin-Smith:Lord will lead the council and stakeholders engagement process in order to deliver the framework as part of a multi-disciplinary team with expertise in: architecture, connectivity, delivery, economics, engineering, finance, landscape, planning, sustainability and urban design. This will be the first time that stakeholders in these districts have had the collective opportunity to get involved and offer their opinions and aspirations for regeneration and physical change.
“It is both an incredible pleasure and a great responsibility to work on the transformation of Glasgow's heart because it touches people's lives and the identity of their city. For this reason we collaborate with the Glaswegians on their city.” Tells MVRDV co-founder Winy Maas, “The project is titled (Y)OUR CITY CENTRE and it is an overall plan made of many elements ranging from larger scale interventions concerning liveability, the infrastructure, the meaning of the river; to the small scale in which bottom-up initiatives, street furniture and the development of small plots is considered. The outcome will be presented to the citizens for an open dialogue about the future of Glasgow."
The first stage was carried out in 2015 in two other districts of Glasgow. After the public consultation with local stakeholders recommendations for the regeneration of the district included improved access through a cycle and pedestrian bridge as well as a new urban park over the motorway. Other suggestions focussed on improving the quality of life within the city, encouraging better connectivity and harnessing local identity and vibrancy.
Key priorities for the regeneration of the city centre include: improving the urban environment, driven by the creation of avenues which will offer vastly improved accessibility between and throughout the city’s districts; promoting cycling and walking; economic growth; development of vacant sites; and attracting investment.
A dedicated website for this next stage of the city centre strategy has been established at www.yourcitycentre.com and more information on the regeneration of Glasgow City Centre is available at: http://www.glasgowcitycentrestrategy.com/news-from-the-city-centre-team.