Designs for Glasgow’s first ‘Liveable Neighbourhoods’ are beginning to emerge following initial feedback from two communities in the city.
Glasgow’s Liveable Neighbourhoods plan is seeking to ensure residents all across Glasgow can access key services in their local area within 20 minutes by active travel or public transport. Other cities have chosen variations on the theme with 15-minute cities, or even five-minute city concepts.
In total, 28 Liveable Neighbourhoods are due to be created in Glasgow in a bid to cut car journeys and tackle carbon emissions. The initiative is part of the city’s wider transport strategy to reduce car vehicle kilometres travelled in Glasgow by at least 30 percent by 2030.
Proposals
Initial consultation with residents for Liveable Neighbourhoods in the Ruchill to Cowlairs and Langside to Toryglen areas has led to proposals for 28 projects, including traffic calming measures, improved footpaths, introducing planters and public seating, creating parklets, traffic filters that prioritise active travel, junction redesign, and reactivating disused land.
Councillor Anna Richardson said: “The input from residents and community groups has been invaluable and has really helped to identify the specific issues that affect people as they move around their local area.
“But perhaps more importantly, local consultation has been crucial for setting out the possibilities for each neighbourhood so they become places where active travel is a positive choice for residents. Fairly simple measures like a new pedestrian crossing or reducing the flow of traffic can make a big difference to how people use their local spaces and will help to improve the quality of life for those living on those streets.”
The proposals will now go forward for more detailed work on the design and costing of each project.
Business case
According to Glasgow City Council, an initial business case for the first four Liveable Neighbourhood areas indicates the programme will deliver an estimated economic benefit of £265 million (US$358 million) for the city, which is 5 to 13 times greater than early estimates on the potential investment needed for the proposed projects in each neighbourhood.
Councillor Richardson added: “We are still in the early stages of the Liveable Neighbourhoods project, but we want to move as quickly as possible. Having 20-minute neighbourhoods all across Glasgow will create a better balance between vehicles and people on our streets with the potential to stimulate higher levels of footfall and interest in local town centres.”
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