View from the Street: The regeneration of Glasgow city centre is an important lesson in leadership resilience
Published
John Cumming
The state of Glasgow’s city centre has been a hot topic for some years now, and understandably so.
Earlier this month, broadcaster Andrew Neil described Sauchiehall Street as “a shambles and a disgrace to Scotland’s biggest city” after driving down the iconic thoroughfare for the first time in a decade before, in his words, “it becomes a building site”.
His view is shared by many people across the city, which is perhaps unsurprising. The scale of redevelopment taking place in Glasgow is, by its very nature, disruptive – but it’s worth it. The investment which has been delivered to upgrade Sauchiehall Street is a crucial first step in making it (once again) a thriving part of a modern city.
The visit of Neil, who is from Paisley, almost coincided with the publication of a new report on the Avenues programme, the £123million redevelopment project which is the most significant redesign of the city centre in half a century.
The work involves a revamp of 16 streets across the city centre, as well as the ongoing redevelopment of George Square. Once completed, it is hoped that the city centre will become a more attractive place to do business, spend time, invest, learn and live.
Our town and city centres are changing. Gone are the days when they were solely a place for retail therapy.
This is felt acutely in Glasgow. Previous economic strategies for the city put a disproportionate focus on retail, seeking to make Glasgow a go-to shopping destination. This was largely successful, but it was reliant on low-paying jobs, vulnerable to shifting economic fortunes.
Today, there is a much greater focus on reviving Glasgow’s industrial heritage, positioning the city as a globally recognised hub for innovation and skilled manufacturing.
The transformation of the look and purpose of our city centre streets is an important part of this broader economic reset, creating public spaces which match Glasgow’s ambition.
Yes, the disruption is difficult, and we’d all rather that this work moved at a quicker pace. This is something which city leaders seem to understand. Take George Square, for example. There’s been widespread criticism of the fact that Glasgow’s central square will be fenced off for the duration of the Commonwealth Games in 2026.
Frankly, though, the work being done to George Square needs to be prioritised. The games are a massive opportunity for the city, but ultimately, Glasgow was called upon to host at the last minute. It’s right that the city steps up to the plate, but we shouldn’t let the Commonwealth Games delay the city’s longer-term journey of transformation.
The topic of long-term transformation is itself an interesting concept, defined by an approach of taking decisions today which might not come to fruition, or indeed be popular, in the immediate future.
This is something many business leaders naturally feel more comfortable with. Enterprises of all sizes make strategic decisions today to ensure their organisation can weather storms and be in the best position possible for future success.
Sometimes, these decisions are deeply unpopular, particularly when senior executives are forced to balance stakeholder relationships, the wellbeing of their employees, commercial viability and operational safety all at the same time.
The leadership resilience driving forward Glasgow’s transformation is, unfortunately, rare in today’s political arena. At this crucial moment of political, economic and social upheaval, we need leaders with conviction, a clear vision of what they want to achieve, and an understanding that they may not be in office when the ribbons are cut.