Campaigners have unveiled the 17 key themes they will explore as they launch efforts to save Aberdeen city centre.
Our Union Street was formed in March, in the aftermath of crisis talks on the alarming decline of the Granite Mile.
Helmed by business stalwart Bob Keiller, the taskforce is determined to breathe new life into the thoroughfare before it’s too late.
Leaders were quickly inundated with thousands of ideas from Aberdonians keen to help.
They’ve now whittled a staggering list down to 17 “key themes”, announced during a public event at Aberdeen Music Hall today.
What are the 17 themes to explore in quest to save Union Street?
The 17 areas Our Union Street will focus on have been broken down into five areas.
The first is footfall, with the empty state of the Granite Mile a matter of huge concern.
1. Atmosphere
When we spoke to people walking the mat last year, many of them told us Union Street had become a place they no longer looked forward to visiting.
Whether it’s drunken rowdiness at night, or the spectre of a ghost town during the day, many agree the atmosphere isn’t what it used to be.
So what possibilities will Our Union Street explore to fix that?
The freshly released whitepaper hails the popularity of the Spectra lights festival in February as “a clear demonstration that people will come into the city centre if there is
something to see or do”.
They say a “calendar of events – large or small, frequent or infrequent” could replicate this.
Our Union Street is keen to see what events could appeal to “younger people, history buffs, gaming enthusiasts and cruise ship passengers”.
The paper states: “How do we ensure that Union Terrace Gardens are a venue for events, particularly over summer?
“Who would design and run events, and how would they be organised?”
2. Ensuring that all events are easy to find and to book.
Our Union Street could look into a dedicated “what’s on” website to “make it easy” for people to learn about events taking place.
The next key theme is accessibility…
3. Review parking concerns.
Asked what would encourage them to visit Union Street more often, many people flagged their concerns about parking.
They say the availability, accessibility and costs involved are off-putting. But what can be done about it?
The whitepaper asks: “If lower cost parking was provided, would the increase in
usage offset the potential drop in revenues for car park operators?
“Are restrictions to parking durations (e.g the one-hour limit at Golden Square) putting people off?”
A previous “Alive after Five” initiative was lauded years ago as a way of reviving Union Street, with charges dropped at council car parks from 5pm to 8pm.
It cost the authority £80,000 – and made “no difference” to footfall.
4. Investigate bus and taxi problems and options.
Aberdeen’s taxi issues go back many months, with a shortage of drivers a persistent problem following the pandemic.
The paper adds: “Several people (who live in Aberdeenshire) said that they would not come into Aberdeen in the evening for meals or drinks etc because they have no faith in the availability of taxis.”
One question Our Union Street will ask is: “Would Uber make a difference?”
The firm as awarded a licence to operate in Aberdeen in 2017.
But the plans were axed two years later.
5. Questions around pedestrianisation and café culture.
After years of debate, plans to pedestrianise a stretch of Union Street were booted into the long grass by the council’s SNP and Lib Dem leaders last summer.
But the idea has never gone away, with a section of Aberdonians still annoyed about the proposal being parked.
Our Union Street wants to see if there really is a valid case for it.
Pledge to go ‘beyond opinion’
The manifesto says: “How do we get beyond opinion and look at the case for
and against it?
“How do we ensure that people with mobility restrictions would not be unfairly excluded?
“Are there certain times of the week, month or year where pedestrianisation makes more sense?”
Data from other towns and cities will be analysed to reach a conclusion.
Can Our Union Street make the Granite Mile sparkle again?
The next area which needs addressed is “the state of the street“, and several ideas will be explored to restore some of Union Street’s gleam.
6. Cleaning the streets, pavements and street furniture.
The paper states: “This is an area that was mentioned many times – the perception is that the street is untidy and dirty. How do we change that?”
When he unveiled the crusade, Mr Keiller mentioned helping to brush our granite buildings until they gleamed again.
Our Union Street will investigate how this could be done, who by, and what equipment they would need.
7. Maintaining upper-levels on buildings.
“Weeds and plants growing from balconies and ledges are very obvious and very damaging to the appearance of the city centre,” the blueprint for change says.
Our Union Street will see how they can be removed and how this would be paid for.
8. Making empty units more attractive.
Could letting agent signs be replaced with something “less obvious” as a way of sprucing up the Granite Mile?
Alongside that, Our Union Street would look at keeping empty units clean and tidy, perhaps even installing temporary signage to cover up “bare and unsightly” hoardings.
9. Improving the look of existing shops.
But even some occupied units are “very poorly maintained”, or have “very unattractive
window displays”.
It comes as the owners of one Union Street shop have been ordered to do it up by the city council.
The group would look into what help it can offer in persuading these units to enhance their appearance.
10. Organising exhibitions for empty retail unit windows.
Another important suggestion is using some of the Granite Mile’s many empty shops for art exhibitions.
11. Aesthetics: Colour, plants, flowers, trees, seating,
lighting and public spaces.
And the group of concerned citizens will explore “practical options” to “bring colour” onto Union Street.
The paper says: “There are a few hanging baskets on the street – how could
we do lots and lots?
“Similarly with window boxes – what if we had hundreds of them – bursting with flowers and colour?
“Could we make the ones on higher levels artificial flowers to reduce maintenance
need?”
12. Organising Volunteers.
Our Union Street knows it can’t act alone, and is summoning an “army of volunteers” to make its vision a reality.
Read more about that here.
Now for a big one: Empty shops
The number of empty units in Aberdeen has been an issue for many years, but the pandemic made a bad situation much worse.
13. Attracting new tenants for empty units.
The collective will examine ways to “provide a clear and compelling offer” luring businesses onto the street.
That could include marketing its benefits, targeting individual firms or looking at ways to help make costs competitive.
14. Empty unit options (beyond retail, food & drink).
Another area will be looking at using empty units as places for arts and crafts, or social activities.
Our Union Street will look at the options and “see how they would work commercially”.
What do you think would help revive Union Street? Let us know in our comments section below
What are the last of the 17 key themes being explored by Our Union Street?
The final area which Our Union Street will focus on is “narrative“. In other words, how do they tell the story of the street to prospective businesses and visitors?
15. Marketing the street.
The paper states: “We need to attract local people and tourists to come to Union Street.”
To do that effectively, campaigners need to “shape the reputation of the street”.
This could involve “harvesting positive stories, fantastic pictures and great videos” capturing it at its best.
They would also look at which other areas have already achieved this.
16. Uncovering our history and culture.
How could Aberdeen’s “deep and interesting history” be harnessed to boost its future?
The group would look at ways to showcase old stories in a modern manner.
17. Learning from other places.
Last but not least, Our Union Street would need to look elsewhere to see what has worked in other places.
They will look into specific ideas which have benefited other communities, and which could be adopted or adapted to improve Aberdeen.
‘Now we need to act’
Bob Keiller said the group is still in its “listening phase”…
But he added: “It is important that we now start to move forward and act upon what has been an enormous public response.
“As we progress, we want to build a community that is passionate about Union Street, and to mobilise a volunteer force that will really make a difference.”
The 17 key themes comes more than six months after the summit to save Union Street.
Read our guide to some of the wackier ideas proposed during those talks here.
Learn more about Bob Keiller here, or Our Union Street here.
You can read the full whitepaper here.
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