Glasgow - Getting Its Mojo Back?
Phillip Rodney doesn't pull his punches with an excellent, thought-provoking piece on how Glasgow can get its mojo back.
"The city centre is a shadow of itself. The buzz, the civic pride, the ambition — gone. In the 1980s, we all believed Glasgow was miles better. But somewhere between then and now, we lost not just the momentum but the belief."
Glasgow’s miles worse — here’s how we can make it better again
No more doom and gloom, or blaming Thatcher: the city needs to show the kind of drive and ambition that historically made it great
By Philip Rodney - The Times
This year, Glasgow celebrates its 850th birthday. Last week I gave a talk in which I was asked to look forward to the next 850. A confession: I’ve got absolutely no idea what Glasgow will look like in 2875. I can barely predict next Tuesday.
But with the help of AI, I had a go. The Greater Glasgow Conurbation, now stretching from what was Edinburgh to past Dumbarton, floats above a radioactive bog where the Clyde once flowed. Council meetings are televised bloodsport. Budget disputes are settled by bare-knuckle cage fights (the pay-per-view revenue finally solved the funding crisis). And the subway? Still only two lines. Plans for a third have been “under consideration” for 783 years.
I’ve spent years writing columns about my frustration with the current state of the city. I’m no town planner, nor sociologist. But having lived, studied and worked in Greater Glasgow for seven decades, I reckon I’ve earned the right to complain.
The city centre is a shadow of itself. The buzz, the civic pride, the ambition — gone. In the 1980s, we all believed Glasgow was miles better. But somewhere between then and now, we lost not just the momentum but the belief.
Before diving into what’s wrong, let me explain why cities matter. Half of humanity currently lives in cities, about 4 billion people. That is set to rise to 60 per cent by 2030 and two thirds by 2050. At the turn of the 20th century it was only 15 per cent. We’re living through the largest mass migration in human history — not country to country, but countryside to city.
Why? Cities are efficient. They create shared wealth, reduce costs, enable easier transport. They’re hubs of creativity where people collide and ideas spark. But cities must evolve to reflect changing requirements and ensure sustainability.
Glasgow could be at the forefront of this evolution. But only if we’re honest about where we are right now. No flinching. No excuses. No blaming Margaret Thatcher for things happening 35 years later.
Let’s start with the health crisis. In Glasgow today, healthy life expectancy for a man is just 54.6 years. That’s not retirement age. That’s midlife. One in four men won’t live to see 65.
Our transport strategy is a masterclass in lack of ambition. The interminable debate over connecting the airport with the city centre shows how little importance we give to business and tourism.
The fact the city looks unattractive is about more than aesthetics. With physical deterioration comes a perception it’s no longer safe. Perception becomes reality in how people decide where to live, work, visit and invest.
According to the think tank Centre for Cities, Glasgow’s economy is underperforming by £7 billion per annum, given its scale.
Of course we still have extraordinary cultural assets — Scottish Ballet, National Theatre of Scotland — and great venues: the new Citizens Theatre, the Hydro, Barrowlands. Our universities are global players. The Royal Conservatoire and Glasgow School of Art rank 6th and 12th globally in their respective fields. Not bad for a city of 650,000 people.
We’re attracting brilliant students. We’re training them, then waving them off because we haven’t given them a reason to stay.
We’ve got strengths in health tech, climate tech, precision medicine and creative industries, and they’re growing. The tragedy is that Glasgow has so much but we’re wasting it.
Glasgow’s bones are strong. We just haven’t looked after them. The crisis is real. But so is the opportunity.
We know how to do this because we’ve done it before. Michael Kelly kicked it off with that wee smiley yellow man in 1983. But we have to want to.
All right, enough doom. Let’s stop wringing our hands and roll up our sleeves. Here are some ideas for challenge and debate.
First, Glasgow needs a devolution deal. Lack of local autonomy is impeding our ambitions. In England, combined authorities have been better able to tailor policy and investment. Devolution must be supported by a directly elected mayor, a big beast who bleeds Glasgow and can knock heads together and charm investors.
We also need a world-class chief executive. Pay them whatever we need to get them. Let them do the job, don’t micromanage. If this city were a start-up, we’d pitch for top-tier talent. So let’s act like it.
Second, clean up the city. That may not be sexy but it’s crucial. A clean city is a safe city.
Third, make health the ultimate priority. We need a strategy that’s bigger than party politics. Every policy decision must be measured against: “Will this help Glaswegians live longer, healthier lives?” No slogans. Just action and accountability.
Fourth, be architecturally bold. We all love Mackintosh. But instead of rebuilding the art school as a sad replica, let’s create something new that says, “This is Glasgow in the 21st century.” How about a Centre Pompidou-style arts complex, a joyful celebration of our culture? A building that looks like fun lives there.
Fifth, we’ve tried everything short of a séance to improve Sauchiehall Street. Let’s stop forcing it back into a shopping street. Make it a creative district. Provide low-rent or no-rent space for start-ups, musicians, artists. Berlin did it. So can we.
Finally, look at Finnieston, Shawlands, Dennistoun. They turned themselves around, not through grand masterplans but because small businesses made things happen, despite the council’s best efforts to bury them in red tape. Radical idea: make entrepreneurship easier, not harder. Say to small businesses, “We trust you. We’ll back you. Let’s build together.”
Cities are like people. They have good decades and bad decades. They get depressed. They put on weight. They stop going to the gym. But they can also recover. But first, they have to remember who they are.
This year, Glasgow celebrates its 850th birthday. Last week I gave a talk in which I was asked to look forward to the next 850. A confession: I’ve got absolutely no idea what Glasgow will look like in 2875. I can barely predict next Tuesday.
But with the help of AI, I had a go. The Greater Glasgow Conurbation, now stretching from what was Edinburgh to past Dumbarton, floats above a radioactive bog where the Clyde once flowed. Council meetings are televised bloodsport. Budget disputes are settled by bare-knuckle cage fights (the pay-per-view revenue finally solved the funding crisis). And the subway? Still only two lines. Plans for a third have been “under consideration” for 783 years.
I’ve spent years writing columns about my frustration with the current state of the city. I’m no town planner, nor sociologist. But having lived, studied and worked in Greater Glasgow for seven decades, I reckon I’ve earned the right to complain.
The city centre is a shadow of itself. The buzz, the civic pride, the ambition — gone. In the 1980s, we all believed Glasgow was miles better. But somewhere between then and now, we lost not just the momentum but the belief.
Before diving into what’s wrong, let me explain why cities matter. Half of humanity currently lives in cities, about 4 billion people. That is set to rise to 60 per cent by 2030 and two thirds by 2050. At the turn of the 20th century it was only 15 per cent. We’re living through the largest mass migration in human history — not country to country, but countryside to city.
Why? Cities are efficient. They create shared wealth, reduce costs, enable easier transport. They’re hubs of creativity where people collide and ideas spark. But cities must evolve to reflect changing requirements and ensure sustainability.
Glasgow could be at the forefront of this evolution. But only if we’re honest about where we are right now. No flinching. No excuses. No blaming Margaret Thatcher for things happening 35 years later.
Let’s start with the health crisis. In Glasgow today, healthy life expectancy for a man is just 54.6 years. That’s not retirement age. That’s midlife. One in four men won’t live to see 65.
Our transport strategy is a masterclass in lack of ambition. The interminable debate over connecting the airport with the city centre shows how little importance we give to business and tourism.
The fact the city looks unattractive is about more than aesthetics. With physical deterioration comes a perception it’s no longer safe. Perception becomes reality in how people decide where to live, work, visit and invest.
According to the think tank Centre for Cities, Glasgow’s economy is underperforming by £7 billion per annum, given its scale.
Of course we still have extraordinary cultural assets — Scottish Ballet, National Theatre of Scotland — and great venues: the new Citizens Theatre, the Hydro, Barrowlands. Our universities are global players. The Royal Conservatoire and Glasgow School of Art rank 6th and 12th globally in their respective fields. Not bad for a city of 650,000 people.
We’re attracting brilliant students. We’re training them, then waving them off because we haven’t given them a reason to stay.
We’ve got strengths in health tech, climate tech, precision medicine and creative industries, and they’re growing. The tragedy is that Glasgow has so much but we’re wasting it.
Glasgow’s bones are strong. We just haven’t looked after them. The crisis is real. But so is the opportunity.
We know how to do this because we’ve done it before. Michael Kelly kicked it off with that wee smiley yellow man in 1983. But we have to want to.
All right, enough doom. Let’s stop wringing our hands and roll up our sleeves. Here are some ideas for challenge and debate.
First, Glasgow needs a devolution deal. Lack of local autonomy is impeding our ambitions. In England, combined authorities have been better able to tailor policy and investment. Devolution must be supported by a directly elected mayor, a big beast who bleeds Glasgow and can knock heads together and charm investors.
We also need a world-class chief executive. Pay them whatever we need to get them. Let them do the job, don’t micromanage. If this city were a start-up, we’d pitch for top-tier talent. So let’s act like it.
Second, clean up the city. That may not be sexy but it’s crucial. A clean city is a safe city.
Third, make health the ultimate priority. We need a strategy that’s bigger than party politics. Every policy decision must be measured against: “Will this help Glaswegians live longer, healthier lives?” No slogans. Just action and accountability.
Fourth, be architecturally bold. We all love Mackintosh. But instead of rebuilding the art school as a sad replica, let’s create something new that says, “This is Glasgow in the 21st century.” How about a Centre Pompidou-style arts complex, a joyful celebration of our culture? A building that looks like fun lives there.
Fifth, we’ve tried everything short of a séance to improve Sauchiehall Street. Let’s stop forcing it back into a shopping street. Make it a creative district. Provide low-rent or no-rent space for start-ups, musicians, artists. Berlin did it. So can we.
Finally, look at Finnieston, Shawlands, Dennistoun. They turned themselves around, not through grand masterplans but because small businesses made things happen, despite the council’s best efforts to bury them in red tape. Radical idea: make entrepreneurship easier, not harder. Say to small businesses, “We trust you. We’ll back you. Let’s build together.”
Cities are like people. They have good decades and bad decades. They get depressed. They put on weight. They stop going to the gym. But they can also recover. But first, they have to remember who they are.
