GLASGOW City Council has announced that a new policy regarding the design of tall buildings has been agreed.
The Tall Buildings Design Guide sets out areas where the local authority would support the development of skyscrapers, as well as the expectations on build quality, design, and aesthetics.
The resource includes guidance around encouraging mixed-use developments, such as the inclusion of street level retail and leisure.
Areas in the city centre which could see more tall buildings include Charing Cross, Anderston Quay, Trongate and Cowcaddens.
The guidance is described as marking a significant change from the past number of decades, where buildings have been capped below what might be expected in a city of Glasgow’s size and international profile.
The council said Glasgow is unique among Scottish cities in having the scope to build upwards. It is now expected that the city skyline will change, building towards the kind of population density that is commonplace in European cities.
Project Scotland reported last year that a consultation had been launched on tall buildings in Glasgow. The evolution of the guidance was shaped by findings from consultation sessions, attended by architects, designers, developers, and amenity organisations, and a later public consultation which drew over 270 responses.
The guidance was also shaped by the experience of similar-sized European cities and the changes to development priorities in the UK and Europe, and can be found at: Tall Buildings Design Guidance
The guidance will now go to the council’s city administration committee for final approval.
Councillor Ruairi Kelly, convener for development and land use at Glasgow City Council, said, “Tall buildings will play a significant role in our ambition to grow the city centre population and encouraging major construction projects will be a boost for the local economy and employment. Having clear parameters of what we will support, and where, will give clarity to residents and assurances to those who wish to invest and develop in our city. Glasgow is very much open for business, and if we want to see a thriving city then we need to build it.”
