The pioneering transformation of underused greenspace at Queensland Court and Gardens in Cardonald, Glasgow, has been recognised in a national Audit Scotland report for its innovation in community engagement and good practice.

The £2.3 million City Deal-backed venture, delivered jointly by Southside Housing Association and Glasgow City Council through the Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Partnership (MGSDP), was completed in 2023.

The project focused on converting the space beneath multi-storey flats into a welcoming, greener community hub. Its design features accessible public spaces, including seating areas, children's play zones, an informal woodland, a bicycle pump track, and cycle storage. Crucially, the park integrates nature-based Sustainable Drainage Solutions (SuDS), such as raingardens, basins, and swales, which create a climate-resilient environment by managing surface water and mitigating flood risk. Beyond its environmental engineering, access to a more attractive and useable greenspace has brought significant benefits, with a residents' survey showing increased neighbourhood satisfaction and better social connections.

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The project's success was highlighted in the Audit Scotland report, Flooding in Communities: Moving towards flood resilience (August 2025), which was presented to the council's Net Zero and Climate Progress Committee on Tuesday, 23 September 2025. The report acts as a guide for local authorities to strengthen their flood risk management, with the council stating the recommendations will inform future actions aimed at building climate resilience in communities across the city. The project itself is part of a wider Green Infrastructure Strategic Intervention, a £37.5m Scottish programme to improve urban environments. It also falls under the massive Glasgow City Region City Deal, a £1.2 billion investment supported by the Scottish and UK Governments, alongside the region’s eight local authorities.