Achetez un café à Replace the M8

I coordinate a campaign which comes from an absolute certainty that Glasgow is a global livability champion in waiting. The campaign aims to promote the idea of a local/Scottish government study into transformational options for the motorway corridor which carves through the city centre. Also, the associated motorway-like expressways which connect to it. All of these roads prioritised car travel above all other considerations when they were built in the mid to late 20th century. These roads obliterated communities, streets, treasured open spaces and buildings. They divided the city, made places unwalkable and ugly and brought pollution and noise to the city centre.

With around 70 years of experience in place making, urban design and highways design we are ready to rethink these roads and rebuild them according to best practice in urban street design.

Our campaign is open to the results of an independent study but we want to promote the idea of an attractive ground level boulevard, possibly reusing elements of the motorway including architectural elements, tunnels and bridges. We want to see the restoration of parks such as Phoenix Park; connections including Argyle Street and Great Western Road and connections between the city centre and canal.

We want to see junctions along the M8 reduced and simplified into normal city road junctions, and the road land-take reduced to make space for development in sustainable city centre locations. We want to see options for making the Springburn and Clydeside Expressways turned into attractive urban streets which buildings are able to address.

This campaign isn't anti-car or anti-personal mobility. It is apolitical with broad support from almost all parties and cautious interest from others. The twitter account where the campaign is based is founded on optimism rather than negativity and I make a point of listening and sharing ideas. There are so many opinions on the matter and they are all valid, especially from people who are wary and cautious about potential negative impacts of changing the motorway network.

This Buy Me a Coffee, aims to cover potential costs to campaign members (travel etc), to buy us a few coffees, to pay for potential twitter or future website costs. If it raised anything more than a few quid that money could contribute to funding work from professionals including visualisations/research. All BuyMeACoffee numbers available to anyone.