r/Glasgow Tools

Title
Author	jerrysprinkles
Comment	The big problem here is not the quality of St Enoch as a shopping centre, or even the recent investment it’s has seen, it’s the wound the building and its surrounding’s have done to the surrounding streets, businesses and neighbourhoods. Glasgow has suffered horrendously since the 60’s from terrible construction decisions - of which St Enoch is one. Take a wander around it and you have a) a huge polluted surface car park to the east, b) an impenetrable service road facing the river to the south, c) an under-used and soulless public square to the west and d) active competition for shops along argyle street, sucking the life from these shops to the north. This is a building which takes up nearly a quarter of the city centre but gives very little of substance back. It’s a building that was designed for people to drive to, function for their singular need, and then drive away from again. The only way for the city centre to truly thrive and for us to see actual improvement in the look of the place, including safety at all hours, healthier spaces with more trees, plants, greenery etc and actual genuine investment in public infrastructure, with nicer places to eat, drink and be entertained, is to encourage relics like St Enoch to be reorientated to better uses. These have to include residential neighbourhoods that bring more people to the centre of town at all hours or the day (not just office workers, shoppers or night outers), with walkable streets devoid of cars (but allowing for some public and personal transport) in addition to greater diversification of street level amenities. I don’t think the centre should be knocked down - so much embodied carbon to open that can of worms - but it absolutely has to be forced to better serve the needs and wants of our city going forward to unlock the potential our city centre has.
Reddit Link	https://www.reddit.com/r/glasgow/comments/13sfeue/st_enoch_centre_glasgow_bid_to_demolish_shopping/jlrbcd7/
Created	Sat 27th May 2023 12:04am
Status	normal ()

The big problem here is not the quality of St Enoch as a shopping centre, or even the recent investment it’s has seen, it’s the wound the building and its surrounding’s have done to the surrounding streets, businesses and neighbourhoods.

Glasgow has suffered horrendously since the 60’s from terrible construction decisions - of which St Enoch is one. Take a wander around it and you have a) a huge polluted surface car park to the east, b) an impenetrable service road facing the river to the south, c) an under-used and soulless public square to the west and d) active competition for shops along argyle street, sucking the life from these shops to the north. This is a building which takes up nearly a quarter of the city centre but gives very little of substance back. It’s a building that was designed for people to drive to, function for their singular need, and then drive away from again.

The only way for the city centre to truly thrive and for us to see actual improvement in the look of the place, including safety at all hours, healthier spaces with more trees, plants, greenery etc and actual genuine investment in public infrastructure, with nicer places to eat, drink and be entertained, is to encourage relics like St Enoch to be reorientated to better uses. These have to include residential neighbourhoods that bring more people to the centre of town at all hours or the day (not just office workers, shoppers or night outers), with walkable streets devoid of cars (but allowing for some public and personal transport) in addition to greater diversification of street level amenities.

I don’t think the centre should be knocked down - so much embodied carbon to open that can of worms - but it absolutely has to be forced to better serve the needs and wants of our city going forward to unlock the potential our city centre has.