With the Urban Land Institute as a partner, Glasgow Chamber has published a report on the future for city centres.

 

The main theme is the impact of technology on consumer behaviours and on investment in the fabric of a city centre.

The growth of online shopping is by far the most familiar strand of the discussion, but there are many more, including smart sensor-based infrastructure for managing traffic, lighting or goods delivery and wireless networks which affect how people choose to work.

We start from the premise that our city centre is economically important. Cities have regained their wealth-creating momentum because they bring people together at scale to innovate, create and exchange.

The city centre is the pinnacle of the city effect.

Glasgow's city centre houses over 150,000 jobs, educates some 40,000 students, entertains 70,000 people on a weekend evening and houses the second-largest retail industry in the UK.

Investment pipelines are strong, and last year the City Council published an ambitious plan for its development with the City Deal playing a role in funding future plans.

Our report acknowledges that Glasgow's city centre starts from a strong position, so its aim is to understand what might come next by asking those in business and academic life what they are already beginning to see emerge and what they suggest we should do to react.

There are 10 conclusions and as examples here are two.

The impact of online shopping is likely to be a change in the demand for retail space.

Some existing units will suit well the demands of click and collect and the increased importance of putting on a show, but other smaller older units won't.

In some cities property owners have begun experimenting with more flexible arrangements such as 30-day rolling leases to make it easier to find new uses for outdated space. Can we do the same?

Glasgow is also taking time to examine how management of traffic ought to change. We have conflicting shopper demands, for example, for both safer and more attractive streets and easy access to car parking.

Can we use technology to improve both the management of traffic using smart car parking systems which guide cars directly to available off-street space whilst taking more cars out of the streets where pedestrians want to be?

There are still some basics to be delivered, not least ensuring that every small business has ready access to broadband - but it's worthwhile keeping an eye on the future.

- Stuart Patrick is chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce