Halfway Community Park: Transforming underutilized public space into a thriving green space for friends and families

Snapshot Solution

by Elana Bader, Southside Housing Association

Providing solutions to social well-being, water management and air quality through collaboration

Naturescot

Southside Housing Association (SHA) have undertaken major regeneration of social housing in the area surrounding the Halfway project in the Cardonald area of Glasgow, which sits within the most deprived 10% of data zones in Scotland. In order to complement these improvements, SHA - in partnership with the local community and Glasgow City Council - has completely transformed an underused open public space into a community park. Through a combination of nature-based interventions and community-led management, Halfway Community Park is helping to provide local solutions to social well-being (tackling issues like community integration, sustainable and active travel, and food production), surface water management, and air quality issues.

Last update: 11 Oct 2021

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Context

Challenges addressed

Floods

Loss of Biodiversity

Infrastructure development

Scale of implementation

Local

Ecosystems

Area-wide development

Connective infrastructure, networks and corridors

Green spaces (parks, gardens, urban forests)

Theme

Access and benefit sharing

Adaptation

Disaster risk reduction

Ecosystem services

Infrastructure maintenance

Local actors

Urban planning

Location

Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

West and South Europe

Impacts

The refurbishment enhanced the buildings, but access to open space was limited. The majority of flats are let to families with children, but there was a lack of safe, accessible quality open space for them to use and enjoy. The site was bland, awkward to access, and criss-crossed unnecessarily by roads and parking. A plan was needed to turn this area into a local asset, simultaneously addressing accessibility, biodiversity, health & wellbeing, and flooding issues. The project has reconfigured space by introducing diverse habitats, community growing and orchard areas, new paths and pedestrian spaces, and addressing water management in the area. Roads directly in front of the flats have been removed, improving safety and access onto the green space. This project has been a positive, community building experience. Residents have given considerable input into the project through the vibrant and active ‘Friends of’ group, which will help care for and develop the park long after the diggers have departed. The long term vision is a thriving community space at the centre of the neighbourhood that connects the disparate buildings and spaces in Cardonald while providing opportunities for training and employment in the area.

For more information contact Elana Bader