The Trinity Centre in Aberdeen has backed calls for the pedestrianisation of Union Street.
Bosses at the shopping centre, which is located on the stretch of Union Street which had been earmarked for pedestrianisation, believes a car-free zone could be a huge opportunity to create “generational change” and a “vibrant” centre.
It has echoed calls by Aberdeen Inspired, the city centre business improvement district (Bid), for residents to make their positive views on pedestrianisation known to councillors, saying it is the key to unlocking a brighter future for the city.
Trinity Centre manager Linda Stewart said: “With some collaborative thinking, Aberdeen could again be a destination for all to the benefit of day and night-time economy.
“Retail, hospitality and leisure are not in the stereotypical normality you would expect to find, there has been blurring of the lines between these sectors into an economy for all.
“Pedestrianisation, though born through necessity at the time of implementation during the pandemic, has presented Aberdeen with an opportunity to make generational change and provide our city with a civic space that it has been deprived of, a space in which city centres up and down the country has thrived with its creation.”
Mrs Stewart also said that a pedestrianised area would be an “obvious” addition to the major work at Union Terrace Gardens, which is nearing completion.
‘Encourage inward investment’
She added: “The formation of the pedestrianised zone is the natural progression from the work at Union Terrace Gardens to allow for the streetscape of Union Street to flourish into a city centre Aberdeen can once again be proud of.
“This will encourage investment back into the city and create a vibrant atmosphere that we can all reap the reward of.
“Providing the legitimate concerns around traffic management and accessibility to the city centre are addressed and the implementation of the works match the vison set out in the masterplan.
Earlier this year, councillors voted to reopen the central part of Union Street to buses, taxis and bicycles.
The issue is currently the subject of a public consultation and is expected to be debated at a full meeting of Aberdeen City Council this later this month.
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