Assessors from The Academy of Urbanism awarded Govanhill the ‘Great Neighbourhood’ prize in the Urbanism Awards UK, praising its “partnership working, community activism, environmental focuses and physical investment”.

By Jack Howse

Govanhill can add Great Neighbourhood to its list of titles after winning the award at the Urbanism Awards UK. Announcing the award, Carol MacBain, the lead assessor for the Academy of Urbanism, said:

“Through partnership working, community activism, environmental focuses and physical investment, the area has transformed itself over the last decade from one of the most demonised neighbourhoods in Scotland to a desired place to live, work and visit.”

Govanhill, which trounced fellow nominees the Ballynafeigh area in South Belfast and Marmalade Lane in Cambridge, is the fourth neighbourhood in Scotland (and third in Glasgow) to have won the UK-wide award in fifteen years. It succeeds Portobello in Edinburgh, which was last year’s winner.

The judges identified several key ‘Learning Moments’ they experienced while assessing the area. These included its multiculturalism, its historical housing stock and the area’s “Harnessing the Power of the Community.”

In this section, the judges noted:

“Creative ways to showcase the area’s assets both physical and cultural have been taken. Examples of these can be found in the Open Museum which include vibrant commissioned artworks to celebrate the diversity of the area; the Greater Govanhill magazine; and the spirit of activism to save the Govanhill Baths.”

The judges also identified how Govanhill Housing Association and Govanhill Community Development Trust: “operate as important and effective anchor organisations driven by an inclusive social agenda. They are embedded in understanding wider socio-economic issues related to the trauma of post-industrialisation and the Trust is described as the social glue of Govanhill.

John Quinn, Director of the Govanhill Housing Association told Greater Govanhill:

“It is a great honour and a great privilege for Govanhill to receive this award from a recognised International Organisation such as the Academy of Urbanism whose remit is to embrace all that is good about the Design, Development and Management of great places.

[...] Its rich history of receiving immigrants for over 100 years is built into the buildings in the area, the community centres, the foods you can buy in the shops, the music and culture that is celebrated during its festivals, and the integrated community projects that build confidence within its people. It makes it the place that it is.

Notably this is a Govanhill award. It is not for a specific group or project. It is for Govanhill, and its neighbourhood which is vibrant and alive, and we must thank The Academy of Urbanism for recognising it in this way.”

The community-building spirit of the magazine was also noted by the judges describing Greater Govanhill as a “not-for-profit community magazine, [which] helps ‘celebrate the differences that make Govanhill so special, shining a light on the people and projects at work in the area, and bringing them together’. This well-produced and informative free magazine positively tells a wide range of storylines to assist cohesion in the 50 or so ethnic groups that live in the area.”