Geography Assessment- Housing provision in Glasgow.

I am going to discuss a number of planning schemes which have taken place in Glasgow.
These schemes are comprehensive redevelop and urban renewal. Glasgow is situated on the
Clyde near the west coast of Scotland. Local deposits of iron ore and coal were needed to
make steel. Building became important and an important industry. The River Clyde which
runs through Glasgow gave Glasgow wealth as ships were made at the docks and material
was transported in and out of Glasgow. The industry provided thousands of jobs and many
seeking work moved from the rural areas to the inner city: this is known as urbanisation.

Glasgow

Tenements were a form of housing built in the inner city of Glasgow in the mid-1880s because the
working class had to be housed. Housing needed to be provided for Glasgow’s increasing population.
Housing was built close together in the form of tenements. The tenements were built in the inner
city. As there was work at the docks people migrated from the rural areas to the urban areas. So
tenements were built for these people. The tenements were built for the working class so they can
get to work easier. Strong communities were formed in these residential areas.

The conditions were awful in the

tenements, they were said to be the worst housing in Europe. They only had one room to sleep,
cook and live. In the 1950s the tenements in the areas were becoming run down and they lacked
basic amenities such as clean running water, electricity, connections to sewage systems and hot
water. Conditions were bad it was cramped and people had a low standard of living inside. They
were compared to slums and favelas. The tenements were a couple of storey and had courtyards in
which there were water toilets. As the tenements were becoming run down the council decided to
improve living conditions and knock down the tenements and build new housing. This is called
comprehensive redevelopment.

In the 1920s and the 1930s unemployment raised and the jobs at the docks started to
diminish away. The jobs at the docks were becoming limited as ships making was
decreasing. This had a bad effect on the people who worked at the docklands as they were
losing their jobs and had less income. This had bad effects on the quality of life people were
living in poverty

The city tried to solve the problem and decided to build new blocks instead of the
tenements. They would knock down the tenements. This is called ‘Comprehensive
Redevelopment’ the new high rise tower blocks were initially a success but then problems
raised. One of the areas where the high rise tower blocks were built was in the Gorbals.
Residents in the high rise flats said that the housing was flats on stilts and did not approve
the housing. The flats made had got several awards for its architecture but the residents did
not like the housing at all. Residents did not like the housing because the flat conditions
were bad there was damp in the walls, it was isolated, the community spirit had gone, and
no space for children to play and the high rise blocks were too high and lifts would break
down. They also were nosily and built in cramp spaces.

This affected people in a negative way; the residents felt that crime rates rose due to the
high rise flats. People were not happy as the residents could not socialise.

In my opinion the tower blocks were not a success as they were isolated cramped not
convenient at all and they were depressing.
Another housing scheme was applied to sort out this housing crisis. In the 1980s and 1990s
the council decided to sort the crisis out and have a scheme called ‘Urban Renewal’. This
was the demolishment of the blocks and the renovation of the abandoned tenements. New
housing was also built for different classes and houses to let were also built. The people
approved of this and were pleased. The houses built gave residents a better quality of life
and a better standard of living. The crime rates decreased and there were better services
and people socialised too.

This was a success as people were pleases with their standard of living and urban renewal
was not just improvements to housing but it also created jobs it was also a job creation
scheme. Overall people loved their housing and the areas improved.

The Gorbals area was one of the worst areas in Glasgow but now it is one of the best. It has
better services such as shops schools hospitals. Residents in the Gorbals are socialising and
the crime rates are much lower than the rates before. Urban renewal was a success in the
whole of Glasgow.

Urban renewal had a good impact on people as people were socially happy and quality of
life improved and the standards of living had improved. There are different types of housing
and the residents in the Gorbals help their community improve by associating with the
council.

My opinion is that the comprehensive redevelopment was a total failure and it causes
problems for people who lived in them and they were poorly built. However urban renewal
was ma success as the resident’s quality of life improve the housing improved people
socialised and new shops and services arrived.