The Glasgow Urban Design Panel

ROle

A Glasgow Urban Design Panel (GUDP) Design Review provides constructive advice to developers, design teams and planners, as part of the pre-application consultation process, and in line with council policy and guidance. The GUDP seeks to support built environment professionals in creating the very best design solutions for the city and its people. 

Remit

Glasgow City Council (GCC) host and facilitate the ‘independent design review Panel for the city’ and select projects for voluntary review; while the Glasgow Institute of Architects (GIA) volunteer as the lead of the secretariat and together with the Glasgow Civic Forum (GCF) invite building experts to review projects and report on the Panel findings. 

The GUDP was originally founded to discuss city conservation by the Glasgow Tree lovers Society; the New Glasgow Society; and the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland. Latterly the Panel established representation of both the city’s professional bodies and amenity groups, resulting in the comprehensive and non-statutory Design Review process we have today. The GUDP Design Reviews take cognisance of CABE’s Design Review, Principles and Practice (2009) to be independent, expert, multidisciplinary, accountable, transparent, proportionate, timely, advisory, objective and accessible. 

The GIA president has historically taken up the role of the Vice Chair and promoted the Panel and a community approach to placemaking and design. The launch of the new guidance is to give clarity to the GUDP process, promote engagement with the Panel and to further engage the architects of the city, with the design of the city. 

Presenting projects to the GUDP is voluntary and we actively encourage the architect, the client and developer to attend Panel Reviews. Dates for the six weekly Panel sessions will be issued at the end of the calendar year, and will include a date for the GUDP Annual Review. A limited number of additional specialised reviews will be arranged, if required, exclusively for locally significant projects of particular relevance. 

Presenting to the Panel

Projects are selected in principle based on the quantum of development, the impact on the city, the public interest and to promote quality in design. 

Due to the limited number of Panel sessions it is not always possible to review all the projects that could benefit from pre-application Panel feedback, due to project or planning timescales. 

There are three main types of project brought before the Panel: 

1. A Pre-application Design Review to offer informal advice to the applicant; 

2. A Planning Application Design Review to offer informal advice to the applicant and to the Case Officer for a submitted proposal pending approval; 

3. A Policy or Development Framework Review, presented by the city for comment. 

Each type of project has a specific Design Review format. 

Presenter Deliverables