McAslan stages impromptu George Square rammy
January 28 2013
Speaking at an appropriately sodden Scott Monument McAslan voiced optimism that he may yet salvage something from the wreckage of the botched initiative, despite Matheson publicly ‘rubbishing’ the competition. He told Urban Realm: “I’m all for building bridges with people. I think Councilor Matheson is a smart guy and will recognise he’s made a mistake. As leader of a process you don’t just abandon it, I’m sure he’s big enough to recognise that."
Matheson didn’t brave the hostile crowds himself but McAslan is optimistic a meeting can be arranged soon, saying: “I did tell him I would be in Glasgow but he wasn’t available, but we’re going to fix up a meeting later this week. I’ll go back with some ideas and say this may be closer to what the people of Glasgow might like, do with it what you will. That will be the end of the process for us.”
McAslan has been vocal in his criticism of the council’s handling of the competition and the format of a week-long public consultation staged at the Lighthouse. He observed: “Four anonymous boards when there is nobody there to present is impossible, it’s very hard to read a plan. If you look at a plan of landscape you think, what is that? How do you read a tree in plan? It needs to be presented. The lack of dialogue was poor.”
6 Comments
#1 Posted by rob on 28 Jan 2013 at 16:11 PM
hostile crowds....looks like one guy standing in the rain
#2 Posted by Wee J on 28 Jan 2013 at 16:44 PM
He is right! A leader of a process should not just abandoned it!
I would also like to say that had the Council followed Scottish Planning Policy on Community Engagement, I reckon the process would have been more efficient and problems could have mitigated. But why should a council follow anything the Government writes about!
I would also like to say that had the Council followed Scottish Planning Policy on Community Engagement, I reckon the process would have been more efficient and problems could have mitigated. But why should a council follow anything the Government writes about!
#3 Posted by David on 28 Jan 2013 at 17:01 PM
Looks just like the weather in his 3D image proposals, although there is a bit more colour in this photo, what with the red ground ;D...
#4 Posted by homo democratus on 29 Jan 2013 at 12:06 PM
Nice water feature ... How noble to grudgingly recognise that the citizens of Glasgow should actually have a say in the future of their main public space
#5 Posted by David on 29 Jan 2013 at 19:33 PM
The idea that there was some consensus among Glaswegians is ridiculous. Fact is the conservationists who supported the idea that little should change and just a few more benches and trees should be added and the red Tarmac removed were misguided. Also the idea that people with no training or notion of what is and is not good design should determine the outcome of this important project is also ludicrous.
Sure have an opinion, it is a democracy but for goodness sake get real, what really do you know?
Sure have an opinion, it is a democracy but for goodness sake get real, what really do you know?
#6 Posted by homo democratus on 31 Jan 2013 at 12:46 PM
Dave. You may want to read the Herald coverage to get a feel for the public response her.
As a qualified town planner and member of the RTPI, I possibly know as much as most architects about handling space between buildings, although it would have been nice to get some input from landscape architects here!
As a qualified town planner and member of the RTPI, I possibly know as much as most architects about handling space between buildings, although it would have been nice to get some input from landscape architects here!
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