URBAN REALM DESIGN |
Sauchiehall Street Avenue | Glasgow City Council
WINNER of the of the 2020 award for 'EXCELLENCE IN SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE'.
WINNER of the prestigious Urban Design Group 'People Friendly Place' Award 2021.
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Urban Movement led the £6million re-design of Glasgow’s famous Sauchiehall Street, through the concept and detailed design stages for Glasgow City Council (GCC). As a pilot scheme for the city wide ‘Avenues’ programme the proposals have transformed a former 4 lane highway into a humanised public space.
The Avenues programme aims to transform 17 of the city centre’s main streets with over £115m from City Deal funding, creating a connected network intended to initiate a significant long-term modal shift towards walking and cycling, whilst improving the city’s economy. Sauchiehall Street Avenue now features a fully segregated bi-directional cycle track; continuous flush footway and cycle crossings at side roads; large semi-mature deciduous trees; seats; permeable paving; improved access to buses and taxis; and a 20mph speed limit. UM were commissioned in 2015 by GCC to develop concept designs for the street, subsequently undertaking RIBA stage 3 designs, working closely with the Council’s Highways and Landscape teams before the council then developed the technical design and let and managed the construction contract which completed in the summer of 2019. The project has totally transformed the western half of Sauchiehall Street from a hostile, traffic dominated environment, to a place for people to enjoy with a more attractive, safer and inclusive streetscape where everyone can sit, walk and cycle in comfort. Sauchiehall Street remains one-way east bound but with two traffic lanes instead of four. Disabled parking, loading, taxi ranks and bus stops are distributed evenly along the kerb lines to create a single, meandering, through traffic route which helps to enforce the new 20mph speed limit. Removal of the two traffic lanes created the space for a ‘multifunctional verge’ and bi-directional cycle track. The verge occupies the centre of the street which allows the 'avenue’ trees to be planted in a relatively utility free rooting zone. The trees are a mix of deciduous species to create visual interest all year round and generate habitat value. Seats, cycle stands, bus shelters, street lighting masts and 'smart city’ infrastructure has also be located in the verge. The footways have been repaved in traditional Caithness stone and de-cluttered, as most of the street furniture has been located in the verge. This created more room for pedestrians and licensed tables and chairs, already encouraging new businesses into the area. Side road crossings have all been raised to footway level run continuously across side road to prioritise east-west pedestrian and cycle movements. |
