Connecting communities: an attractive new waterfront and river park for Glasgow

Becca Thomas, director of place and architect at New Practice, part of Civic, said: “The River Clyde is integral to the history of Glasgow and such an important part of the city. We’re proud to have played a role in connecting the surrounding communities with shaping the waterfront’s new identity over the past five years. It represents major investment in Glasgow city centre which is creating more positive, vibrant and connected civic spaces, alongside other transformative projects we’re involved in delivering such as George Square and The Avenues.”

Barbara Vecchione, place lead and architect on the project, added: “We know that there are many unheard voices within the built environment, so it was important that we developed an engagement programme that would involve groups such as women, to take their experiences into account and enable a more inclusive design. This engagement was initiated as part of the Council’s feminist approach to town planning and urbanism.

“With a focus on creative activities, we uncovered what Glasgow’s waterfront means to participants today, and began imagining what it could represent in the future. In one workshop, for example, we used AI technology to illustrate plasticine models created by the participants, helping to bring their vision to life in a new way. It’s detailed and comprehensive exploration like this that helps to share lived experiences and connect communities to decision-making processes, which will unlock immense value for people’s sense of place, safety and belonging in the city.”

The masterplan is also anchored by a new structural quay wall built into the river, in front of the existing wall, with a key engineering challenge to consolidate and realign 460m of quay walls. Civic’s engineering team are working on the civil design and have been managing the marine engineering and hydrology engineering support, playing a key role in the management and supervising the extensive landslide and marine site investigations. 

Nikki Johnston, associate in Civic’s civil engineering team, said: “Being a part of this project has been fantastic. The strategic integration of rain gardens and other Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems is far more than a technical fix - it contributes to a vibrant transformation of Glasgow's public spaces, an area where the City Council is making impressive strides.

This project, along with other Glasgow initiatives we are working on, like The Avenues, exemplifies a fundamental shift in how we as engineers are approaching urban design. We're moving beyond simply capturing and diverting surface water. Instead, we're seeing it as a valuable resource, weaving it directly into the fabric of our communities. By bringing water to the surface instead of hiding it in pipes, we can nourish green infrastructure, create new habitats, and foster a greater sense of community. We’re not just solving a problem - we're integral to building better, more resilient communities for the future.”