Despite a lifetime of travelling around the Highlands, I had never visited Foyers and the south side of Loch Ness. So, when the chance to facilitate this plan landed in my inbox in October 2020, I sensed an opportunity. Not simply to get to know somewhere new, but to do something that hadn’t been done […]
Archive | projects
community-led planning: success stories
Communities sometimes ask: what’s the point of a community-led plan? Why sit around talking about a plan? Why not just get on with what needs to be done? There are two answers to this. The first answer is: how do you know what needs to be done if you haven’t done a Community Action Plan? That’s […]
redesigning George Square | a fresh start
Towards the end of last year, Glasgow City Council decided to ask its citizens a simple question about George Square: is it time for a change? Many will remember the international design competition for George Square held in 2012-13. It promised a radical redesign of the most celebrated public space at the heart of Scotland’s […]
Local Place Plans | what are they?
Local Place Plans – one of the provisions of the new Scottish planning system – are the subject of much uncertainty in the world of Scottish planning. Have they started yet? What will they look like? How will they relate to Local Development Plans and other plans? Who will prepare them? Who will pay for them? […]
the value of early engagement: where’s the evidence?
My colleague Steven Tolson and I are delighted that the Scottish Land Commission has asked us to research the value of early public engagement in the planning system. We see this as really important piece of research by the Commission. Why? Because, despite the principle of early public engagement being enshrined in the two major […]
Foxbar pilot Local Place Plan and ‘how-to’ guide
There’s been lots of interest in the Scottish Government funded pilot Local Place Plan for Foxbar in Paisley and accompanying ‘how-to’ guide for Renfrewshire Council, both published last year thanks to the initiative of Renfrewshire Council. Winning a Scottish Award for Quality in Planning 2019 in the ‘Plans’ category this week may have encouraged more […]
how can planning better support thriving rural communities?
Community Land Scotland‘sPolicy Director Calum MacLeod has just published an excellent brief overview of what Scottish land reform has achieved since the 2003 Land Reform Act (thanks to the Scottish Community Alliance). As Calum succinctly explains, much has been achieved since 2003 – but more needs to be done to spread the benefits of community land […]
creating a buzz: the collaborative city centre
One thing I love about Glasgow city centre is the buzz: people everywhere, events in the street, new places to visit. In my professional life as an urban planner, I’m really interested in how to help make that buzz even better. Planning is often thought of as a legalistic activity, regulating new development. But it […]
Scottish planning awards: cutting edge or simply best practice?
The annual Scottish Quality in Planning Awards took place last Wednesday night in Edinburgh. If you’re interested in seeing the 20-plus awards that illustrate the best of Scottish planning in 2018, you’ll need to do some digging. The relevant Scottish Government webpage refers to just three of the awards; the interactive map linked to from […]
Glasgow city centre Avenues: The Underline
There was lots of interest when I posted the initial design proposals for Argyle Street and Trongate back in June. So, dear reader, here’s a preview of the next wave of Avenues design proposals for the city centre. (If you read my previous post, you might recall that I’m part of the team led by […]