Funding secured to permanently pedestrianise Dundee city centre street

ONE of Dundee’s most important retail streets, in the heart of the city, is to become permanently pedestrianised, after a temporary arrangement was found to have delivered increased trade and positive feedback from customers.

Dundee City Council has received more than £740,000 – from the walking and cycling charity, Sustranshttps://www.sustrans.org.uk – to carry out detailed design work on the permanent pedestrianisation of Union Street and further design work on an accessible railway cycle crossing at Magdalen Green, located west of the city centre, on the banks of the River Tay.

Sustrans is supporting the project through its Places for Everyone programme, backed by the Scottish Government agency, Transport Scotland.

Says the council, in an announcement, here: “Launched as a pilot scheme in July 2020, the pedestrianisation of Union Street has since been made permanent after a survey found the move boosted trade and was popular with customers.

“The project was supported by UNESCO City of Design Dundee who worked to ensure input from businesses influenced the changes and overall design.

“These included using natural materials to create space for outdoor dining by installing wooden planters, maintained by Bonnie Dundee volunteers, and selecting bold, bright welcoming colours for the street mural.

“New Sustrans funding of £302,000 has been secured to undertake detailed designs which will permanently transform Union Street. Concept designs will now be taken forward to the detailed stage that will include on-street trials and workshops with the community.”

Picture credit: Paul Reid / Sustrans

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