The Glasgow Urban Laboratory, led by the Mackintosh School of Architecture at The Glasgow School of Art, will create a community that aims to become a world-leader in the advanced practice and research in urban place-making.
It will allow experts in various fields to come together to ensure that future development in the city serves the needs of Glasgow's citizens in terms of social justice, health, education and all other aspects of civic government.
The "urban laboratory" will give civic leaders new and creative ways of drawing on the expertise of a whole range of specialists when developing policies aimed at improving the lives of Glaswegians.
The laboratory is setting a world-standard in cross-disciplinary teaching and research in place-making, and will enhance Glasgow's reputation as an international leader in design.
Place-making is a vision for regeneration and development that extends the horizons of urban design, town-planning, and architecture to include both social and economic policy-making.
Above all it is a discipline that puts public participation at the heart of the process, making sure that communities have a voice in the design, delivery and management of new and regenerated built environments. Furthermore, the approach also ensures a balance of social benefit with improved environmental quality.
Councillor George Ryan, Executive Member for Development and Regeneration, said: "This laboratory will hopefully create a community which is a world-leader in advanced practise and research in this field.
"It will bring together the best minds available to allow civic leaders and policy makers to draw on their expertise when shaping the future of the city.
"For the people of Glasgow, it will mean that there is a focused approach towards influencing priorities and development activity to improve the social, economic, environmental and cultural lives of everyone in the city.
"It will play a significant role in enhancing Glasgow's position as a world-leader in design."
Professor David Porter, Head of the Mackintosh School of Architecture at The Glasgow School of Art, said: "The Laboratory is attracting international interest. People observe the City of Glasgow innovating and we are building on the momentum of such landmark projects as the Garden Festival, City of Culture and City of Architecture and Design.
"This powerful collaboration, led by the Mackintosh School of Art at The Glasgow School of Art, with its partners Glasgow City Council and The Lighthouse, is poised to harness world-leading place-making practices for Glasgow and its people."
The Lighthouse, Scotland's national Architecture and Design centre, will be providing the public interface for the initiative Nick Barley, Director said:
”A key role of The Lighthouse is to increase public access to architecture and design in meaningful ways, enabling people to have a real say in the design of the buildings in which they live work and play, and the communities in which they live. To be really successful, well-designed buildings must be situated within well-designed contexts. That is why the idea of good place-making is so important for the design of our cities.
“The Urban Laboratory builds on the existing relationships between The Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow City Council and The Lighthouse and we hope will provide a blueprint for how the combined forces of academic research, public engagement and local authority planning can deliver successful urban development in the 21st century.”