Urban competition prize for Glasgow nature reserve

A NATURE reserve, created from vacant and derelict land located little more than a 30-minute walk from Glasgow city centre, has been named a winner of awards run by a magazine aimed at the property developer sector.

Says The Developer magazine of its Pineapple Awards and the winner of its category prize, Public Space: “The Claypits is a large, 17-hectare area of post-industrial [land] that straddles the [Forth and Clyde] canal. This project’s greatest achievement is its re-designation from ‘Vacant and Derelict Land’ to a ‘Local Nature Reserve’.”

The nature reserve is located between the Maryhill and Possilpark districts the city. It is near the football stadium of Patrick Thistle FC.

Adds The Developer magazine, here: “This impressive project transforms the lives of people in one of the most-deprived areas in Europe.

“Judges were impressed by the range and level of engagement and stakeholder management, which enabled a detailed understanding of the needs of all parts of the community.

“They noted the significant challenge in making this site accessible for the first time in hundreds of years, and in balancing the needs of all stakeholders. They praised the impressive outcome and the joy and fun that it offers the local community – a regeneration in the truest sense.

“The commitment to inclusion was evident, with the team overcoming physical barriers in a sensitive way to create an asset that can be enjoyed by all. Judges were impressed by the focus on health outcomes, and the fact that the project unlocked the potential for much-needed new homes on adjacent land.”

The prize was shared with Elephant Park, in London.

Shortlisted were Exchange Square, City of London, London; South Quay Plaza, Tower Hamlets, London; Beckenham Place Park in Lewisham, London; and Glasgow Science Centre – Outer Space, Glasgow.

Continues The Developer: “The Pineapple Awards celebrate the urban life of places and seeks to recognise developments where people seek to live, work, and play. The ten award categories for 2022 included Place of Year, Activation, Public Space, Community Engagement, Place in Progress, Creative Retrofit, Future Place, and International Future Place, and two new categories, Activation: Re-Store for the activation of retail spaces and Future Place: Public Realm for masterplanning projects focused primarily on the spaces between buildings.”

“Why Pineapples? The pineapple is an international symbol of welcome, hospitality and prosperity, and is featured in UK architecture – from Dunmore House in Scotland to the Brighton Pavilion and the top of St Paul’s Cathedral in London.”

Picture credit: Scottish Canals