Designs for new skatepark underneath M74 motorway in Glasgow unveiled

Design proposals will be unveiled this week for a new urban park underneath a motorway in Glasgow.

Glasgow Urban Sports are behind the plans for The Devon Street Urban Park project, which will see public green space and a skatepark installed underneath the M74.

Ten years in the making, the project’s design has been led by Scottish artists and skateboarders Toby Paterson and Raydale Dower, who teamed up with BMX rider and professional ramp builder John Bailey, known for indoor skate park The Loading Bay.

The Loading Bay now receives more than 30,000 visitors annually, providing urban sports programming to schools and community organisations across Glasgow, and has most recently been recognised as the first national Skateboard Hub for the UK by Skateboard GB.

In 2023, the team worked with Glasgow City Council on the city’s Cycling and Urban Sport Strategy. The strategy identifies opportunities for the provision of urban sports within Glasgow neighbourhoods at different scales.

The proposals will transform 8,000 square metres of under-utilised “lost” space into a new type of park and urban space for the public.

The project has already attracted significant investment from the United States, with The Susanne Marcus Collins Foundation supporting the design process. The group recently confirmed an offer of an initial £1.2m in funding.

Organisers are now hoping to gain public support for the project and secure further funding.

Members of the public can view the project design at Tramway’s upper foyer space between Wednesday, October 3 and Sunday, October 6.