This weekend sees the first stage of public consultation take place to help determine what Argyle Street, from Anderston Cross to Trongate, and through St Enochs Square, Dixon Street down to the Clyde, will look like in the future. Part of the transformative ‘Avenues’ public realm project that we were appointed to at the end of last year, the consultation will seek the public’s thoughts on some initial design principles. Over the course of the weekend, on street consultation teams will be at various locations along the length of Argyle St and for those that can’t make it to the city centre, the proposals and questionnaire will be available online at Glasgow.gov.uk/avenues from Friday ,15^th June until Friday 13^th July.

The £115m Avenues project is funded through the Glasgow City Region City Deal. The ambitious project aims to change the face of the city for the better for all those who live, work and visit. It will see key Glasgow city-centre streets redesigned to protect and prioritise space for cyclists and pedestrians, improve connectivity, introduce sustainable green infrastructure through attractive streetscapes and enhancing biodiversity and improve the way public transport is accommodated. A pilot is already underway on Sauchiehall Street between Charing Cross and Rose St. The Argyle St consultation is part of Block A which focuses on:

• Argyle St East & West along with St Enoch Square
• The Underline – (a pedestrian and cycle route linking Gt Western Rd with the city centre)
• Sauchiehall Precinct
• Cathedral St
• North Hanover St

The consultation will ask the public to consider the proposals and invites them to imagine how the street might be in the future, with more emphasis on space for people and less for traffic. We want to know what their feelings are about the provision for pedestrians, for cyclists and public transport. It will also ask about whether elements such as trees and greenery, along with space for outdoor events and activities are important to them. The feedback from this consultation, along with feedback that has already been gathered from local businesses and community groups will help to inform the next stage of designs that will be out for formal public consultation towards the end of the year.

Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “The Avenues programme will transform the city centre in the coming years, and is a great example of what will be achieved for Glasgow through the City Deal.  The Avenues will deliver a city centre that is better connected, more attractive, and capable of bringing economic growth to residents and businesses, but we want to have the views of as many people as possible to help shape the final design of the project into something that meets the needs and aspirations of the huge number of people and organisations who use the area.  Please take part in this consultation.”

Stephen O’Malley, our Founding Director who leads the Design Team for Block A said, “Getting the opinions of the public on these initial ideas and principles for Argyle Street is a fundamental part of the process. Since our work on the project began, we have sought to involve local businesses and groups, after all they are the ones who use these streets on a daily basis. It is crucial that we understand how they want to experience their city and elements, such as walking and cycling provision, along with greenery and outdoor event space. The information we collect in this first stage of consultation will help us to determine how to balance the space allocated to each element; walking, cycling, nature and so on, to inform the proposed final designs that will be out for formal consultation later in the year. We hope that the ‘Avenues’ will transform the perceptions and experience of all those who live, work and visit Glasgow.”

On Street Consultation Schedule

 Friday 15^th June – 10am – 2pm – Argyle St at Buchanan St

Friday 15^th June – 2pm – 6pm – Hielanman’s Umbrella

Saturday 16^th June – 10am – 2pm – St Enoch Sq

Saturday 16^th June – 2pm – 6pm – Trongate

Sunday 17^th June – 10am – 2pm – Trongate

For the latest updates check twitter @GlasgowCC as this schedule may be subject to change at short notice