Byres Road – once a vibrant and eclectic place to visit, shop & congregate is in gradual decline. Street stalwarts such as The Sentry Box Toy Shop have been forced to close their doors & small indie businesses are struggling to survive.
Media reports & public debate often cite lack of parking spaces as a factor. Elsewhere Carnaby Street in London, the Latin Quarter in Paris, Stroget in Denmark & our very own Buchanan Street are bustling – but very much catering for people rather than vehicles.
Consultations on the proposed redevelopment of Byres Road are nearing completion. However will slight tweaks to the status quo really provide it with the transformation locals, visitors and businesses need?
A recent Shoppers Survey suggests not, with nearly 70% of those shopping in Byres Road using public transport or getting there on their own steam (walking and cycling).
We think it is important that the vision for Byres Road takes proper account of people’s travel patterns and spending habits, as well as lessons from other cities. With this is in mind Space for People Byres Road and GoBike members will be out highlighting the business case for making Byres Road people-friendly.
Such a sizeable investment could breathe new life (and with it some clean air) back into one of our cities most famous cultural assets, but to do so it needs insight and vision. We’ll therefore be reaching out to as many businesses as we can, but if you’d like more information in the meantime, please get in touch.
Our friends at Space for People Byres Road have been working hard on spreading the word that active travel, and not the private car are what make High Streets like Byres Road thrive. Thank you to all of them for this guest blog, in particular Caroline for the words and Josephine for the graphics. Please share the word with everyone local to Byres Road and further afield, that businesses need active travel to thrive.