Event to show vision for Glasgow's 'Golden Z'

Published: 27 July 2023

The Vision for the 'Golden Z' in Glasgow city centre - Argyle, Buchanan and Sauchiehall Streets - is to be presented to stakeholders at an event in the Lighthouse on 14 August.

This vision, and a Delivery Plan to achieve it, has been developed following recent consultation with stakeholders in this area, Glasgow's retail core and a key part of the city's economy. The vision and delivery plan reimagines the Golden Z, responding to the post-pandemic challenges and opportunities currently facing the city centre. Landowners, businesses, institutions, agencies, residents and visitors were engaged with to discuss how the Golden Z could and should be improved in the future.

As part of the engagement, consideration was given to the main issues currently affecting the Golden Z - such as the impact of changing retail and leisure trends, a growing city centre population and the pressing need to repurpose vacant sites and buildings in the area - and the potential contribution of significant future redevelopment proposals, such as those recently announced for both the Buchanan Galleries and St Enoch Centre.

It is expected that the new vision and delivery plan will provide a direction that guides the future development of the Golden Z, and in doing so give confidence to businesses, residents, investors and developers. The vision and plan identified key priorities for intervention and investment - by both the public and private sectors - that will deliver the city centre's economic recovery and underpin the area's economic, social and environmental resilience.

Councillor Angus Millar, Convener for City Centre Recovery at Glasgow City Council, said: "The Vision and Delivery Plan for Glasgow's Golden Z is a response to the challenges and opportunities that Glasgow city centre - like so many other city centres - faces during this period of great change. We have engaged with people and organisations with a stake in the area to arrive at a vision and plan for the Golden Z that we can all follow, and this will guide the development of this key part of Glasgow in the decades to come."

Stuart Patrick, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce chief executive said: "Glasgow's Golden Z is the spine of the city's retail offering, and we welcome the review being undertaken. The proposals rightly continue the focus on our city centre in addition to the commercial property repurposing study undertaken by the City Centre Task Force. It's positive to see that recommendations also encourage a mix of uses on the Golden Z and the focus on key sites, which have been informed by extensive public engagement and feedback from stakeholders. I look forward to this being utilised by the City Council and its partners to bring forward tangible policies to support the recovery of the city centre."

The project is funded by the Scottish Government's City Centre Recovery Fund and will be overseen by Glasgow's City Centre Task Force, co-chaired by Councillor Angus Millar and Stuart Patrick, Chief Executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce.