South Portland Street

Overview The Avenues FAQs News| Contact Us (opens new window)

South Portland Street Public Realm

The South Portland Street regeneration project has been made possible through the securing of Transport Scotland funding, via Sustrans "Places for Everyone" programme.

South Portland Street was historically designed as part of the Laurieston and was Glasgow's first residential area south of the Clyde. Best known for its broadest street and centre piece of ambitious Georgian development by the Laurie Brothers -Architect Peter Nicholson. The original bridge was replaced by the present suspension bridge in 1853.

The construction to South Portland Street will see the introduction of high-quality public realm to connect the area south of the river to the city centre, and integrates in with other active travel infrastructure projects and highlights the commitment to a sustainable city.

The Avenues programme forms part of the City Centre Strategy. The priority of this programme is about creating inclusive and sustainable space for people through quality public realm, green infrastructure and innovative technology.

Design Principles
Enhanced, continuous and widened footways	Rain gardens and Street trees	Biodiverse Planting
Segregated cycling lanes separated from other road users	Road carriageways reduced in width	Improved Public Realm
Rationalised and improved street furniture	Architectural lighting features	Road priorities adjusted with clear routes

Consultations

The design process for the Avenues has been shaped by extensive stakeholder engagement. These consultations included workshops, on-street engagement, and online questionnaires. The feedback gathered from these type of activities aim to shape the new placemaking approach to street design.

This project is part of Glasgow's "Avenues Plus" initiative and is funded by Transport Scotland through Sustrans' "Places for Everyone" programme. The goal is to reshape South Portland Street with improvements like:

Green/blue infrastructure (e.g., street trees, planting, and rain gardens).
Enhanced footways for pedestrians and accessible routes for wheeling.
Segregated cycle lanes for safer active travel
Reduced street clutter and upgraded lighting.

Project Details
Historical Significance	South Portland Street was part of Laurieston, Glasgow's first residential area south of the Clyde, dating back to Georgian times. The Suspension Bridge, built in 1853, replaced the original.
Public Engagement	Methods Online and On-Street: Engagement sessions and an online survey took place in May 2022. Participants included local residents, commuters, and vulnerable users such as those with accessibility needs.
Key Findings	Desired Features 22% wanted more benches, 17% sought secure cycle storage, and 15% advocated for improved kerbs and signage. Trees and planting (e.g., central green strips and rain gardens) received strong support.
Barriers to Active Travel	32% highlighted poor onward links. 24% cited unsafe environments. Traffic speed and volume were flagged as a concern.
Design Response	Accessibility Two controlled crossings at Norfolk Street and Oxford Street were added. Design includes tactile surfaces, minimized crossing distances, and seating with arm/back rests.
	Green Spaces A wide central green strip with trees and planting links Clyde to Laurieston. Dead or dying trees will be replaced by species like lime or elm, carefully positioned to avoid underground services.
	Traffic Management Efforts are underway to lower traffic volumes and explore additional management measures. Traffic options like reversing Coburg Street and South Portland Street directions (Option B) or introducing a right turn at Coburg Street (Option A) are being explored.
	Lighting Additional lighting to address anti-social behaviour and improve safety was prioritized

Links: South Portland Street Consultations (PDF, 4 MB)

Design Team and Construction Contractors

The Design Team is led by Ironside Farrar
Glasgow Office: 5th Floor, 135 Buchanan Street, Glasgow G1 2JA
Design Contract Awarded

The Contractors is led by MacLay Engineering
Stirling Road, Airdrie, Lanarkshire ML6 7JA
Phone: 01236 768388 | Mobile: 07798 666 896
Email: William Richardson at contact@maclaycivil.co.uk

Funding

The programme is funded by the Glasgow City Region City Deal, which includes contributions from both the Scottish and UK Governments, additional funding from Sustrans was also obtained for the project.