8.1 Glasgow City Centre (Figure 8.1) is at the heart of the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Conurbation with its 1.8 million people, and the core of a larger catchment relating to its primary economic function as a major business and retail location in Scotland and the United Kingdom.

8.2 The City Centre remains the strategic focus for economic activity in West Central Scotland and this is reflected in the breadth and scale of its service functions. It is:

8.3 The City Centre is the hub of the West of Scotland’s public transport network with two main railway stations, Glasgow Central and Queen Street, providing main-line rail links to major cities throughout the UK and potentially, trans-European rail services. In addition, there are six other rail stations and three Underground stations. The City Centre is at the heart of the local bus network with Buchanan Bus Station providing cross-country bus services. The M8, which runs adjacent to the north and west of the City Centre, provides easy access to Glasgow Airport and the wider motorway network.

8.4 With its range of modern residential, commercial, business, educational, entertainment and cultural facilities, the City Centre continues to shape and define the character of metropolitan Glasgow and its hinterland. Major structural and environmental changes, progressively introduced since the 1960s, have re-positioned the City Centre as a competitive investment location. The widespread introduction of smoke control orders, the creation of new communities through the comprehensive development of Townhead, Cowcaddens, and Anderston and the relocation of the fruit market triggering the revival of the Merchant City, are examples of how the City Centre has embraced change. Decisions were also taken during this period to remove the blight caused by the eastern flank of the proposed Inner Ring Road and to make the conservation of the Central Area’s fine architectural heritage a key element in the promotion of Glasgow.