How can building upon existing urban and cultural fabric revitalise local centres and create sense of place within a city?

My final design thesis explores how building upon existing urban and cultural fabric within a city can revitalise local centres and create a sense of place. I aim to rejuvenate local centres by redesigning the hierarchy of space to prioritise community rather than commercial activity. My project places an emphasis on the adaptive reuse of vacant and derelict buildings to act as anchors for these local centres, able to provide a link to the past while helping to revitalise neighbourhoods.

Glasgow is the perfect testing ground for this thesis because many communities have lost their historic centres and sense of identity through de-industrialisation and there is a high level of vacant buildings and sites that could be better utilised. My thesis focuses on the creation of a new public square for Eglinton Toll in the south side of Glasgow as well as the adaptive reuse of the vacant industrial building St Andrews Printworks that sits adjacent to this square. My programme incorporates civic space with community workshops for the building of temporary structures for the community to use for local festivals and events.