What we mean when we talk about place – the Work of the Place Commission for Glasgow

Place is everywhere, places are all around us. Everywhere is some place. We live our lives in places. Place is a general construct, a concept that gives everywhere some meaning whether cultural, social, environmental or economic. These meanings establish qualities of place that are positive (ceremonial, beautiful, tranquil, lively) and negative (derelict, threatening, unloved). They provide a common terminology for something that is generally understood but imprecisely defined. When used to guide interventions in place, it is important to be precise and transparent to enable co-creation with citizens. In 2020, the City of Glasgow established an independent Place Commission under the direction of the City Urbanist with a mission to explore definitions, principles, narratives and actions for place in the city for its people. Of Scotland’s four principal cities, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee are surrounded by landscape and sea. Only Glasgow is surrounded by itself. With a population of 650,000, and with a tight territorial boundary, Glasgow is the largest of Scotland’s cities by some margin. The metropolitan area has a population of over 1.8 million. The Commission’s work reviewed the concept and complexities of place, discussed why these matter, and explored the growing body of evidence that place quality helps explain place value and place attachment and can deliver economic, social, environmental and health outcomes. The Commission undertook an examination of place in contemporary Glasgow, looking through the lenses of an international, metropolitan and everyday city. Based on its research and a programme of engagement the Commission drew conclusions including the concept of a place ecosystem and revealed valuable insights presented in a series of Place Stories. The Commission’s report, PEOPLE make PLACES, was published in 2023. The evidence has been analysed and embraced by the city government now moving to service delivery organised around a directorate of place operating at the city-region, city and the community level. The paper examines the research and findings of the Commission and its contribution to place thinking and practice.