Scotland’s tenements are an enduring legacy of Victorian and Edwardian urban expansion, providing a unique urban form and character to Scottish cities. In Glasgow, while many were swept away by 20^th century comprehensive redevelopment, the remaining stock was systematically improved through innovative citizen-led housing associations in the 1970s, or were of high enough existing quality in middle class areas. Today, tenements are a popular housing choice, combining space, heritage, compact development and cosmopolitan urban living.

Despite these benefits, many tenements in Glasgow are unprepared for the multiple challenges of climate change and energy insecurity. Many tenements have low energy efficiency, while the cost of heating homes continues to rise. Taking a ‘just transition’ standpoint, such challenges are compounded by those tenements occupied by housing association tenants, who receive a variety of housing or welfare subsidy. In addition, such tenants are pre-disposed to pre-existing vulnerabilities such as poor physical or mental health.

In 2019, the Southside Housing Association, The Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and others, led a multi-stakeholder pilot initiative at Niddrie Road in Glasgow’s Southside, to retrofit an entire tenement building to the maximum energy efficiency standards possible. Following this, the research team from Centre for Housing Evidence (Cache) undertook qualitative post-occupancy evaluation interviews to ascertain the lived experience of living in these deep retrofitted tenements. In this paper we outline the perspectives of tenants living in these flats and what lessons we might learn for retrofitting housing for a just transition.

References

Gibb. K et al. (2023) ‘Niddrie Road, Glasgow: Tenement Retrofit Evaluation’. UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence.

The UK Government's Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 removed statutory consultation requirements for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) in England, citing concerns that the process hitherto had created a "doom loop" of endless consultation that delayed projects without improving outcomes for either projects or host communities. Critics of the Government have claimed that this move will just reduce democratic oversight and public voice in planning. There is, however, a paucity of empirical evidence about what constitutes meaningful consultation in NSIPs and for whom.

Addressing this gap, this paper reports the findings of a mixed methods study of consultation practice focussed on the experiences of both project applicants and consultees across multiple NSIPs, providing insight into what works, for whom, and with what outcomes.

Key findings point to the lack of shared understanding of the purpose of consultation, with applicants framing consultation in instrumental terms while consultees place greater emphasis on influence and fairness. This divergence in expectations is a consistent source of tension. The findings also point to critical success factors such as establishing clarity early about what can genuinely be influenced versus predetermined requirements; optimal timing and sequencing of consultation before positions become entrenched; and the value of recognising both tangible and intangible outcomes from consultation and engagement activities.

More broadly, these findings have implications for how the longstanding principle of public participation in planning is mediated within projects deemed to be in the national interest, where centralised decision-making frameworks intersect with expectations for localised democratic engagement.

Mapping can support children’s creative and critical engagement with their surroundings. Social mapping, in particular, enables children to express views about their local areas, exercise civic rights, and understand their place within complex social and spatial relationships.

Between September 2025 and July 2026, we worked with 239 children, including 145 from primary and 94 from secondary schools across urban and rural settings on Ynys Môn. Over three sessions, participants used creative, arts-based, photographic, video, and both online and offline methods to explore what they value in their communities and where changes are needed. Children created ‘social maps’ both 'on the map' (through stickers and annotations) and 'off the map' (through walking and discussion), extending beyond the limits of static cartography. They then translated these insights into digital form working 'in the map' using uMap, a web-based platform built on OpenStreetMap.

Social mapping proved a powerful approach for place-based learning. Children communicated experiences in articulate, creative, and critical ways, supported by diverse and inclusive methods. While some technological challenges arose, uMap was particularly effective with older participants, enabling real-time collaborative mapping. Combining arts-based and digital approaches offers a compelling way to communicate place-based needs among young people themselves and to wider audiences, including local authorities. Such approaches can support communities in Wales and beyond to understand social needs and inspire collective action.