George Square

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George Square - The City's Civic Space

George Square is at the heart of the transformation of our city and forms the central point of the Avenues network.

The square will be a welcoming space for events, festivals and for people to sit and meet up. It will have more green spaces, more places for sitting, meeting and enjoying the city centre, improved landscaping, as well as new play and sensory gardens.

The design has been developed through a collaboration between architectural firm John McAslan and Partners and Glasgow City Council, following extensive consultation with the people of Glasgow.

George Square is at the heart of the network of 16 new Avenues being created in Glasgow, making our city greener, better connected, and a great place to stay and do business. The Avenues and George Square form part of the City Centre Strategy and the Glasgow City Region City Deal regeneration programme which aims to stimulate economic growth and attract inward investment. The £123.4 million programme is backed by the UK Government and the Scottish Government.

Design Principles

Design Principles
Create a welcoming public space	Use high-quality materials, and beautiful trees and plants	Make the area greener to improve air quality
Add fun play areas and sensory gardens	Provide separate paths for cyclists and wider pavements	Increase seating and resting spots
Ensure the space is accessible for events all year round	Add in better drainage to manage water and prevent flooding	Add stylish lighting to enhance the space at night

Consultations

The design process for George Square and the surrounding Avenues has been shaped by extensive stakeholder engagement. These consultations included workshops, on-street engagement, and online questionnaires. The feedback gathered from these type of activities aim to shape the new placemaking approach to street design.

The key points taken from the consultation are summarised below:

Diagonal desire lines for the Square should be incorporated into the design, allowing pedestrian cut throughs of the long benches and continuous rain gardens.
Planting should maximise biodiversity and utilise native species.
Lighting strategy should be presented in next stage of engagement.
Separation of cyclists, pedestrians, and vehicular traffic must be consistent and substantial (not just ground material changes) relevant to George Square and the Avenues.
Seating orientation should be considered to provide the best views and to face the sun.
Accessibility should not be an afterthought but a design driver. It is recommended that as designs get more detailed, safety of the public should be a priority.
More diverse seating options should be included - both in terms of the type of seating (e.g. bench, picnic table, social seating) and the positioning of seating (e.g. by a cafe, under tree canopy, within planting, with a view).
Tree position should allow for important vistas to impressive architecture and/or businesses surrounding the Square.
The inclusion of a feature such as a water feature or a 'Fourth Plinth' style public art installation should be considered. Participants did not demonstrate an emotional attachment to the existing statues. It is recommended that a less formal, bolder approach could be undertaken to relocate within the city and free up space in the Square itself for alternative features: play, contemporary art, curated 'Fourth Plinth' and water features all mentioned as being more of interest than the "statues of the 1% from history".

Design Team

Design Team is Led by John McAslan & Partners
Meet the Team | Design Contract Awarded

Glasgow City Council has appointed a team led by John McAslan & Partners to work closely in collaboration with the council and the community to redevelop George Square and the surrounding Avenues (EIIPR Block C).

Funding

The Avenues and George Square is funded by theGlasgow City Region City Deal. The £123.4 million City Deal programme is backed by the UK Government and the Scottish Government.