Gorbals has a long history. The former village began to grow with the development of Glasgow’s heavy industry in the 19th century. Situated in direct neighbourhood of the city centre it was an ideal dormitory.
In the 1930’s the Gorbals housed around 100.000 people. After World War II the Gorbals changed radically.

After a slum-clearance programme a “new Gorbals” was build made of high storey buildings with vast green spaces in between. The objective was to create a modern, green city with an important place accorded to the car. A part of the old population moved out to the new suburbs.

In the end of the 1980ies after strong local protest the redevelopment of the area was decided.

Gorbals is an area near the city centre, which is made up of three distinct neighbourhoods – Hutchesontown, Laurieston and Oatlands. Before the start of the recent development project, Gorbals suffered from poor housing quality (1960ies high storey buildings) and vast green space in lack of maintenance.

The modern and green city project of the 1960ies did not lead to a more liveable city and living conditions led to massive resident’s protest in the end of the 1980ies. The Gorbals had a very negative reputation.

The initial aims were to make Gorbals a place where people want to live, to change the negative image and to regenerate the local economy. The project aims to physically, socially and economically integrate the new development with the existing community.

Measures which were less successful:

Both phenomena are enforcing themselves mutually causing problems for the more modest residents already living in the area.

The development of the local economy was given a boost through the creation and construction of one shopping centre, one business and the retain of one industrial complex. Furthermore, a new public transport concept was introduced (quality bus corridors) and adapted to the rest of the project (bus lines passing directly in front of the retail facilities). The reconstruction measures included also locations for community use such as a new library.

The Glasgow Alliance is the regeneration and social inclusion Partnership for the city. It brings together key organisations from the public, private, voluntary and community sectors. Glasgow Alliance promotes partnership working to help tackle the economic issues which face Glasgow’s deprived areas. This Alliance was also involved in The Grown Street Project.

Extensive community consultation and involvement took place in order to sell the idea to the residents. But the citizen participation was limited only to reactions to established proposals. It was no community-needs leaded process.
Up from a more advanced stage of the project representatives of the local community are members of the project’s Steering Group.

Physical strategies to improve physical problems
Construction of new houses and renovation of old houses

Physical strategies to improve social problems
The reconstruction measures included also locations for community use such as a new library and a park.

Physical strategies to improve economic problems
Creation and construction of a shopping centre. Creation and construction of one business complex and the retain of one industrial complex. Construction of a days inn and student residences.

The project focused mainly on physical measures but also had economic and social development goals.

The project will be completed by the end of the year. So ar, the following has been achieved:

The project was regarded very successful.
The Gorbals regeneration programme as a whole has won a number of awards, one of which being “The Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning 2002”.

The successful Crown Street Project served as example for the further development of the area.

One of the key elements of the development strategy within the Crown Street Project was the elaboration and implementation of the so-called master plan. The master plan principle consists of giving a design framework for the whole project while avoiding a uniform architectural structure.

The Crown Street’s master plan was divided up into manageable development packages. For each package there was a developer/Architect competition, based on detailed urban design briefs and fixed land prices. Each development package is sold with strict conditions regarding future management and maintenance of the development. A superior monitoring of the overall development is maintained. It has passed from the project office to the local Trust Company.

Residents of the area

Total budget was 64 million.

City Centre and Clyde – City Council of Glasgow
Alistair MacDonald (Group Manager, Planning), tel. +44 14 12 87 86 00

01/01/1990

case

Urban Policy > Urban environment

Urban renewal