r/Glasgow Tools

Title
Author	eenbiertje
Comment	That's a sort of related but different idea. Superblocks would mean coalescing a few city blocks (maybe between 4 and 8 city blocks) together in vehicle traffic terms. Making cars have to travel round these superblocks to reach their destinations, while the superblocks act like a kind of bubble, where cars cannot enter, but pedestrians, bikes and in some cases, public transport, can. Barcelona is applying superblocks all over the city, in essence making many low-traffic neighbourhoods next to one another. I'm meaning something more like what Ghent has done, or what Birmingham is committing to. Having an actual specified and extensive zone in the city centre where cars cannot enter - except for a few roads which 'probe' into that zone from different sides. That's the norm in many Dutch and German cities. Glasgow's toying with the superblocks idea (Queen Street - Ingram Street - Argyle Street - High Street being one I think) but it strikes me as a bad idea for a city the shape of Glasgow. Barcelona is vast and expansive. Superblocks fit its layout. Our city centre is quite compact though and well defined by the M8 - High Street - M74 ring around the periphery. Seems to me anyway that following the Ghent model would produce more dramatic results in terms of improved liveability & regeneration of the city centre than tinkering with a few superblocks.
Reddit Link	https://www.reddit.com/r/glasgow/comments/qnirk2/the_m8_could_be_so_much_more/hjqozbc/
Created	Sun 7th Nov 2021 11:54pm
Status	normal ()

That's a sort of related but different idea.

Superblocks would mean coalescing a few city blocks (maybe between 4 and 8 city blocks) together in vehicle traffic terms. Making cars have to travel round these superblocks to reach their destinations, while the superblocks act like a kind of bubble, where cars cannot enter, but pedestrians, bikes and in some cases, public transport, can.

Barcelona is applying superblocks all over the city, in essence making many low-traffic neighbourhoods next to one another.

I'm meaning something more like what Ghent has done, or what Birmingham is committing to. Having an actual specified and extensive zone in the city centre where cars cannot enter - except for a few roads which 'probe' into that zone from different sides. That's the norm in many Dutch and German cities.

Glasgow's toying with the superblocks idea (Queen Street - Ingram Street - Argyle Street - High Street being one I think) but it strikes me as a bad idea for a city the shape of Glasgow. Barcelona is vast and expansive. Superblocks fit its layout. Our city centre is quite compact though and well defined by the M8 - High Street - M74 ring around the periphery. Seems to me anyway that following the Ghent model would produce more dramatic results in terms of improved liveability & regeneration of the city centre than tinkering with a few superblocks.