08 urban workshop [trongate]

The Trongate area of Glasgow lies minutes east of the busy city centre. Having suffered several years of neglect, the main shopping streets of Saltmarket and High Street now lie mainly empty. In recent years the profile and appearance of the once run down area of the Merchant City, adjacent to Trongate, has been dramatically improved with the redevelopment of former warehouses and new build development of flats, bars, clubs, restaurants and retail.

Glasgow City Council wished to continue this redevelopement by extending its reach to Trongate, building on the apparent success of the Merchant City. They asked for anyone with "buzzy" ideas, including recent design graduates, to submit proposals for one of the many empty shop units in the area to their Development and Regeneration Department. The following is holeinmypocket's response, Urban Workshop:

Urban Workshop is envisaged as a nomadic ever changing exhibition of experimental work from local artists and architects in collaboration with local community groups which will challenge contemporary ideas on the built environment and provide a forum space during the proposed regeneration of the locale.

Urban Workshop is on the fringe of the redevelopment of the trongate. It is incapable of private financial gain, instead it strives to maintain a dialogue during urban renewal between all elements of this process in order to prevent financial wants blurring social needs.

Paramount to the regeneration of Trongate is not just diversity of amenities but also diversity of residents. It must not become a 'yuppie ghetto' excluding those on low incomes from living there. Urban Workshop aims to provide a forum space for discussion and debate amongst local people, councilor's, businesses, architects and developers.

 

© holeinmypocket, 2002-2009

 
info flyer submitted to Glasgow City Council
click on image to enlarge

Advertisement: Glasgow City Council
Glaswegian newspaper 03.07.03

00 home
01 people
02 projects
04 contact
03 shop
<<_ index _>>