Last year, the land beside high-rise flats at Queensland Court and Gardens was revitalised into a vibrant community park featuring sustainable drainage measures to reduce flood risk.
The survey, conducted by Research Resource on behalf of Southside Housing Association, found that 90% of respondents now rate their neighbourhood as either a "very good" or "good place to live," up from 68% before the park's construction.
The joint project between Southside Housing Association and Glasgow City Council, supported by the City Deal-backed Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Partnership (MGSDP), is the latest phase of the Hillington and Cardonald Surface Water Management Plan.
The new community park offers an outdoor socializing space, informal woodland, dedicated toddler and children's play areas, a bicycle pump track, and cycle storage facilities to encourage active travel. Sustainable drainage features like raingardens, basins, and swales have also been incorporated to reduce localized flood risk.
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The survey, conducted over the summer, also showed increased satisfaction with specific aspects of the neighbourhood, with the highest levels of satisfaction reported for play facilities (97%), bike storage facilities (94%), and residents' feelings of safety (91%).
The project has had positive health outcomes. Compared to a baseline survey from 2020, respondents' use of greenspace at Queensland Court and Gardens has increased from 35% to 64%, with 30% now saying they go outdoors for fresh air 4-7 times a week, up from 10%.
Social connections have also improved, with 38% of surveyed residents now speaking daily to someone other than those they live with, compared to 15% previously.
The creation of this improved, more resilient community space not only addresses the climate emergency but also provides an accessible, open space for residents. The project's award-winning landscape design, previously recognized by Building with Nature and the Landscape Institute, has enhanced the overall experience for the community.
Cllr Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow City Region Cabinet said: "It's fantastic that the community park has been so well received and that it's now much easier for residents to socialise outdoors as well as for children to play.
"It's also good to know that the works are having a positive environmental impact - with the retrofit of nature-based solutions on site reducing the risk of surface water flooding and ensuring the future enjoyment of a much-improved community space."
Alex Cameron, Chair of Southside Housing Association added: "I'm delighted with the results of the survey and to hear about the benefits that this partnership project has made to residents. For us as a housing association it really demonstrates the value of this type and scale of investment, both on the local environment and on the residents using the space."
Both the UK and Scottish Governments are providing the Glasgow City Region local authorities with £500million each in grant funding for the Glasgow City Region City Deal.
