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Pocket Places Scotland

Posted: 6th January 2020

Pocket Places supports communities across Scotland to find simple, quick, temporary solutions to improve the look and feel of their streets.

Delivered by Sustrans Scotland with funding from Transport Scotland, the project is currently being delivered in Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Fife and Inverclyde.

It builds on Sustrans’ recent work in England around small scale change with their Street Pockets and Pocket Places programmes. Uniquely for Scotland, Pocket Places is being delivered within a 1-year cycle from design to installation.

By making small-scale changes to local streets, the project hopes to inspire further improvements and encourage communities to apply for other Sustrans support for larger-scale change, such as Street Design or Places for Everyone funding.

Supporting local change

Pocket Places is working with local residents in Shawlands in Glasgow, Kilbarchan in Renfrewshire, Greenock in Inverclyde and Dunfermline in Fife to make small-scale changes to transform local neighbourhoods.

Already, engagement sessions have been held to find out more about the problems and opportunities faced by the local community in each area.

This feedback will inform our Pocket Places team when coming up with designs and solutions to improve each street. The team will also provide the support and the resources to make the change.

Community-led design

It will be up to residents, local councils, businesses and community members to decide together what will happen in their area.

Changes could be temporary or semi-permanent.

They could include one-off events such as street closure or pop-up parks. Longer-term solutions are also being trialled including benches, planters, crossings or artworks.

And, there is always the option for the changes to be made permanent.

Creating liveable neighbourhoods

We have a track record and wide-ranging experience and expertise in urban design and community engagement.

Every street has the potential to be a place with greenery, clean air, and priority given to people, enabling them to use the space as a community and travel actively.

Pocket Places helps to bring that potential to life.

Explore our urban design and planning work

Contact us to find out how we can work with you and your local community

Christina Eley, our Community Engagement Officer for Pocket Places

 

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Business Comment is the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce’s bi-monthly magazine. It provides insight on Edinburgh’s vibrant business community, with features on the city’s key sectors, interviews with leading figures and news on new business developments in the capital.
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