July 29 2025
Glasgow City Council is reimagining its waterfront as a destination rather than a place to pass through with new public realm proposals at Custom House Quay and Carlton Place.
Both banks of the River Clyde through the city centre are to be remodelled by Hawkins/Brown, equating to 7.86 hectares of riverfront between Glasgow Bridge and Victoria Bridge, which will become a new ‘river park‘. The masterplan calls for the removal of poor quality public realm dating from the 1970s and its replacement with a ‘ribbon’ walkway straddling the north and south banks of the river.
The multipurpose proposals will enhance pedestrian and cycle connectivity while introducing new gardens and gathering points. Interventions include a performance space at the foot of Buchanan Street and the creation of terraced activity and play spaces at Carlton Place to bring life to the river.
In a planning statement, Hawkins/Brown wrote: “The masterplan provides an opportunity to (re)activate this prominent waterfront, to restore and transform the perception of the river from a barrier into an open space, connecting its surrounding communities. The masterplan is anchored by the practical aim to address the structural integrity of the quay walls, and in turn improve the quality and experience of the river edge.”
Salvaged sandstone at Custom House Quay will be reused for gabion basket retaining walls at the east end of the park.
A new quay wall will bolster the river against the impacts of climate change
The importance of open space along the river will increase as the city centre slowly builds out