Stalled Spaces Glasgow

Email |  Phone 0141 287 9555

Stalled Spaces was a programme introduced by Glasgow City Council to support community groups and local organisations across the city develop temporary projects on stalled sites or under utilised open spaces.

The projects supported by the programme delivered a range of initiatives based on the needs of the community. These included:

• growing spaces,
• pop-up gardens,
• wildlife areas,
• urban gyms or natural play spaces,
• temporary art in the form of pop up sculptures,
• spaces for events or exhibitions or
• any other innovative idea.

Programme Background

The programme was started in 2011 and in its first five years has helped deliver over 100 projects that have successfully brought over 25ha of vacant, under utilised or stalled sites under temporary community use. 

The programme employs an innovative approach to address the issues arising from vacant sites, recognizing this as an opportunity to help deliver projects that benefit local communities.

Aims and benefits

Temporary projects on stalled spaces can deliver multiple gains as summarized below:

• Placemaking and local regeneration
  Improving a derelict site can enhance the experience of a place, open up additional space for recreation and engagement and make the area safer and more attractive for community use. Temporary improvements to sites can also enhance the value of the area, making it more attractive for future development. The success of such projects has the potential to trigger wider regeneration of the area.
• Training and education
  Engagement of the local community in the development and management of these projects can help impart skills that may enhance their employability. Projects can also have an education component involving local youth and kids, especially projects around growing food locally or developing areas for wildlife.
• Improving health and well-being
  Research shows that access to green spaces contributes to mental health and overall well-being and helps reduce social isolation and health inequalities across income groups. Temporary greening projects can enhance a community's access to green spaces.
• Community engagement
  Stalled Spaces projects provide communities a chance to engage with each other and work together as a team towards common goals, thus contributing to social capital