Case Study 1 - Urban Design for Social Sustainability
Crown Street Regeneration Project, Gorbals, Glasgow
| Type: | Mixed Use | |
| Number of units: | 659 owner occupied dwellings, 173 social rented homes | |
| SAP rating: | various | |
| U-values: | various | |
| Fuel costs: | n/a | |
| Works costs: | various | |
| Unit cost: | various | |
| Completion date: | Summer 2000 | |
| Contacts | Crown Street Regeneration Project | 0141 429 8956 |
| New Gorbals Housing Association | 0141 429 3900 |
Key Features
- mixed use development
- part brownfield site
- partnership
- high density
- sustainable high quality urban design
- community participation
The Crown Street Regeneration Project arose out of protracted community protest at the failure of earlier efforts to improve quality of life in the Gorbals through comprehensive redevelopment and mass housing by the local authority.
The demolition of the Hutchiesontown E blocks in 1987 made available a 16 hectare site close to the city centre and the opportunity for sustainable urban redevelopment. A new approach was adopted by the Crown Street Regeneration Project, the main aims of which are:
- redevelopment to produce a high quality urban environment
- integration of development with the surrounding area both physically and socially
- improvement of the Gorbals economy.
These aims are to be achieved by the adoption of the Urban Village concept which involves:
- mixed land uses
- social mix
- high quality urban design.
It was realised that a narrowly-based housing-led development would not deliver the required outputs and a wider initiative was required involving employment, retailing and other services, private and public. A partnership was established to do this involving:
- Glasgow Development Agency
- Scottish Homes
- Glasgow City Council
- New Gorbals Housing Association
- private housing developers
Figure 1.1 The project pays attention to existing urban scale and form br reintroducing the tenement block adapted for family living.
Urban design
In 1990 Piers Gough of CZWG Architects won an urban design competition which was to result in a masterplan which includes:
- reintroduction of the tenement form adapted for family housing
- grid street system with the street as an integral part of living space
- blocks as the main spatial unit with communal garden at the centre of each block
- streets and blocks to connect to and address the surrounding areas
- Crown Street itself to be bustling local shopping area and the focus of the area.
Figure 1.2 The overall masterplan re-establishes the grid street system.
Social and economic aspects
When complete (summer 2000) there will be 659 owner occupied dwellings and 173 social rented homes. The aim is to produce a mixed community of existing residents, people with connections to the Gorbals, incoming groups on high incomes and families with children. There will also be retail units, a hotel, student residences and business premises, the latter using upgraded railway arches. Incubator office space is also planned.
Community consultation and involvement, of both existing and new residents, has been a requirement throughout the development process and is seen as essential to the success of the area in the long term. This has involved direct community representation on the Steering Group but it has proved difficult to involve the wider community in other than a formal and reactive manner.
Regeneration of the local Gorbals economy is to be achieved in the short term by the use of local contractors and the assessment of developers on the basis of their local employment and training proposals, and in the long term through the related Gorbals Initiative.