Tartan-clad dancing girls at the opening of the pedestrian area in Buchanan Street in 1972.
The replacement of parking meters by plants and shrubs, in what had been one of Glasgow's main traffic arteries, was considered revolutionary at the time. Initially the pedestrian zone was limited to the southern end of Buchanan Street and part of Gordon Street. It was enforced only from 11am to 4pm, with vehicles allowed access at other times. However, it proved so popular that by 1978 traffic had been banished from the entire street.
It is generally accepted that pedestrianisation has been beneficial for both shoppers and retailers in Glasgow. Pedestrianisation of the main shopping streets was one of the top responses when people were asked what they liked about about shopping within the city centre in a survey in 2002. The study also revealed that 78.9 per cent of interviewees agreed or strongly agreed that recent improvements to public spaces - specifically in Buchanan and Sauchiehall Street - have made Glasgow City Centre a better place for shopping.
Reference: Glasgow City Archives, P1677
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
dancing girls, opening ceremonies, pedestrian precincts, pedestrianisation, plants, shopping, shops, street entertainers, streetscenes, tartan, trees
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