Date: 16 June 09
Author: Macmag34
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Over the past year Glasgow School of Art's Urban Lab has been engaging in an urban design led approach into small town regeneration in Scotland. Following work done on Renaissance Towns by Professor Alan Simpson and David Lewis at Carnegie Mellon University in the U.S. and subsequently in Yorkshire, the Urban Lab is (now) applying the model in Scotland.
Towns form a vital part of Scotland’s landscape with approximately 2 million people living in Scottish towns. The challenges of changing employment and shopping patterns have been significant over the past fifty years, but as the Small Towns Report noted in 2006: ‘There is a great deal of pride of place in Scotland’s towns and there is a strong will to maintain and enhance local services.’
The Renaissance Towns initiative seeks to help bring about a revival. At the heart of the renaissance of these towns is the fundamental belief in the value of local empowerment. A need is recognised to fully engage and empower local communities in order to release their latent skills, knowledge and desire to improve their towns as places to live, invest and visit.
This year the Urban Lab has launched Renaissance Towns with a pilot study in Neilston, East-Renfrewshire. The concept embraces community involvement through the formation of Town Teams, Charettes, and a Community Charter which sets out a vision for the community and its long term well being. The cornerstone of town renaissance is the re-population of town centres and enhancing their economic performance by increasing investor confidence. At the same time, the empowerment of local communities helps drive the renaissance of their towns.
The Clyde Valley Community Planning Partnership – a collaboration between eight local authorities including the Glasgow City Council - has shown interest in Renaissance Towns, and is seeking to bring forward a renaissance town in each local authority area modelled on the Neilston pilot study.
Renaissance Towns to Renaissance Neighbourhoods.
Macmag 34 met with Professor Alan Simpson to discuss Renaissance Towns.
A vision for Neilston © Urban Design Skills
MM34: How does the Urban Lab hope to develop this work in the future?
AS: The next stage is to grow the renaissance towns model (to make it) applicable not just to discreet townships across the sub-regions, but to city neighbourhoods (in the form of) Renaissance Neighbourhoods. The models of renaissance town centres, high streets and main streets are being looked at in relation to Glasgow, particularly the north of the city. This will take the model of Renaissance Towns and Renaissance Neighbourhoods as it was grown at Carnegie Mellon and will apply it in Scotland.
We’re getting very good support for the Renaissance Towns programme and it would seem that we’re now about to get support on Renaissance Neighbourhoods (which is based on) the same model and technique in terms of community engagement and growing master plans through the community - by the Community for the Community - for the long term future city neighbourhoods. By taking the concept into the urban setting, particularly the north of Glasgow, we’re hoping to raise, in collaboration with Glasgow City Council, a series of projects in discreet neighbourhoods.
As Design Advisor to the Clyde Gateway project, and in collaboration with Architecture + Design Scotland, we are working with the Clyde Gateway Team to deliver a Design Charette in the Clyde Gateway area. (This will lead to) preparation of an Urban Design Strategy; a Master Plan; and programme in Community Engagement – in a part of the city which includes the Commonwealth Games initiative. Some of the best architects, urbanists and community planners will make up the design team, including Koetter Kim from Boston and West 8 from Rotterdam.
Neilston residents © Urban Design Skills
MM34: What does the Urban Lab hope to achieve with this?
AS: There is a core partnership between the Mackintosh School of Architecture and the City of Glasgow in the Urban Laboratory. It’s a city-meets-university relationship. We bring creative design, research, enterprise and innovation to a council that’s doing a lot of pioneering work. We’re trying to find the way forward in dealing with some of today’s critical urban problems (concerning) people and places - people and the places they have to live in. If places and neighbourhoods, towns and cities become attractive and accessible, then they become confident, attractive to the visitor, the tourist, the investor and the resident, (making these places) self policing, self-sustaining, and socially and economically viable. People want to be there and to invest there, to shop and to work there. The alternative is unacceptable.
A vision for Neilston © Urban Design Skills
MM34: Will there be much student involvement in this work?
AS: There will be progressively more over the coming years. My Masters students are very involved with many of those working on projects in the north city. We are planning the programme for the next year so that 4th and 5th year students will also be engaged through projects in urban design, master planning and housing.
© Macmag34
Scottish Renaissance Towns Conference: by the Community for the Community. East Renfrewshire Council, with co-host Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS), and partners the Glasgow Urban Laboratory Mackintosh School of Architecture GSA, Urban Design Skills and the Lighthouse, hosted the first annual Scottish Renaissance Towns Conference on Thursday 25 June at Eastwood Park Theatre in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire. The Scottish Renaissance Towns Initiative launched its new website at the event, to find out more click on the following link: http://www.scottishrenaissancetowns.com/
Image © GSA Macmag34
The above article features in the new Glasgow School of Art Macmag34 publication which is available for sale at the GSA Degree Show, and also within the Mackintosh School Shop and the CCA. Macmag34 is also available to purchase on-line via ebay, just search for "macmag". For further information contact: macmag@gsa.ac.uk
The Glasgow School of Art Degree Show is on until 20th June. For further information visit: http://www.gsa.ac.uk/degreeshow2009/
