One of my current projects is with Glasgow City Council and local stakeholders to develop a regeneration framework for Sauchiehall Street and Garnethill in Glasgow – part of a major investment in the city centre in the next few years to make it more people-friendly. It’s a flagship project for the City Council, as well […]
Archive | projects
Haddington youth enquiry | young people shaping their place
Haddington in East Lothian is busy co-producing the future of its town centre – building a bright future by businesses, local authority and the community working together to plan and delivery change. It’s an exciting initiative, not least because of the increasing collaboration and power-sharing that’s taking place, as I explain here. The framework for action is the vision […]
the fresh’n’lo approach to rural planning
A few months ago, I wrote about refreshing rural planning policy to encourage more rural investment, more diverse and sustainable rural economies, and thriving rural communities. Since then, respected Haddington-based surveyors and architects Chalmers & Co have taken the lead in moving this agenda forward in East Lothian. The firm spotted what they saw as a gap […]
how Haddington is fulfilling its potential
Urban Animation, WMUD, Dhu Rural and I have recently completed the Haddington town centre vision – a fascinating six month project which we believe offers a model for other town centres around the country to make the most of their assets, and get public, private and community sectors working together in a way which builds better places and […]
the Biggar Agenda | three lessons for other places
By Nick Wright on 22 May 2012 in all posts, community engagement, culture change, planning, projects
Working with Kevin Murray Associates, WMUD, Hamilton-Baillie Associates and VivID Ideas & Solutions, we’ve recently completed The Biggar Agenda: a community strategy for the next ten years. This is the third in a series of town strategies that we have prepared for the award-winning South Lanarkshire Rural Partnership‘s Market Towns Initiative, the earlier towns being Lanark and Strathaven. In each town, our […]
crianlarich into action
What does Crianlarich make you think of? That little place signposted from miles away, only for you to blink and miss it when you get there? Somewhere to dive into the loo on the way to the West Coast, and then get back on the road again? Despite having a population of only 200, Crianlarich […]
a new plan for Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire’s principal town, has suffered its share of setbacks. The closure of the Johnnie Walker bottling plant in 2012 will be the latest in a series of high-profile closures over the last 40 years, including Stoddart Carpets, Saxone and Massey-Ferguson. But Diageo’s departure is also an opportunity to think to the future: to […]
a new slant on promoting enterprise
I’m currently working on an “integrated urban development plan” for Kilmarnock, part of a team led by Kevin Murray Associates and including WMUD, Hamilton-Baillie Associates, The Burrell Company and SLIMS Consulting. The study has been commissioned by Make it Kilmarnock, the advisory board charged with delivering economic recovery for the town, set up in the […]
putting ideas into practice
I’ve posted a few blogs over the last year about making more people-centred places – and have mentioned lots of ideas, but not a great deal of practice. Which is a little ironic, since most of my work is on real projects. So, let me redress the balance a little by giving three brief examples […]
talking planning in Aberdeen city and shire
With Sèamus Lalor of sèamus lalor associates, I’m facilitating a series of events in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire for ACSEF, the Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Forum. The events are half-day discussions for anyone and everyone involved in planning in the North-East of Scotland: planners from the public and private sectors, local residents, businesses, developers, architects […]