City Centre: Details of Spaces for People Infrastructure Delivered

A significant amount of road space was initially reallocated in the city centre for walking and wheeling.

Following a period of monitoring and review however, some measures were removed to allow a focus on the delivery of temporary infrastructure where it was most needed and to improve its look and feel. Larger style planters and trees were subsequently installed around George Square to green the space as well as restrict vehicle movement. 

Complementary work was also undertaken around St Vincent Place, Queen Street and Merchant City.

Temporary footway widening remained in situ around our main transport hubs and busier bus stops. We also implemented traffic light automation and touch-free pedestrian crossings, both of which remove the need to press the button to prompt the green man to display.  

Update (September 2021):

Whilst Spaces for People temporary measures made it easier to stay a safe distance from others, much of the infrastructure also increases the viability and appeal of walking, wheeling and cycling for everyday journeys, and therefore if kept could contribute to the prioritisation of sustainable transport across the city.  An independent review was therefore commissioned to look at whether to retain or remove measures - the findings of which were accepted by the council's City Administration Committee on 16 September 2021.

Key report recommendations to be taken forward in our city centre include the retention of footway widening measures and urban greening around George Square and Merchant City, as well as keeping the new infrastructure that supports physical distancing around city centre transport hubs and bus stops.

Details of all measures introduced in our city centre through Spaces for People (including measures subsequently removed) can be found below.

• Gordon Street and Argyle Street (Central Station)
• St Vincent Street, Union Street, Hope Street, Bath Street, Cochrane Street
• George Square, Hanover Street, N Hanover Street, George Street, Queen Street, St Vincent Place, Cochrane Street
• Renfield St and West George St
• Montrose Street
• Merchant City