Health Challenges

Stuart has a new job in combating global warming. One major outcome of the ongoing climate crisis was the creation of new job sectors specifically geared towards local climate action. Part of Stuart’s latest project is bringing agriculture into the Glasgow cityscape. Major cities no longer just rely on the countryside to generate food. Urbanization has a new look. Existing spaces and redeveloped for agriculture, creating new means for addressing previous declines in local biodiversity and supply-chain breakdowns. Such concepts as beehives in abandoned spaces, crops propagated across roofs linked together to repurpose unused spaces, drain pipes reimagined to maximise water dispersion across vertical farms. The pulse of the city echoes with a different tamber. 

Glasgow is gaining a “green” reputation. But less for its choices in energy consumption, and more for the stunning visual reality the city is today. Vertical farming is expanding across the metropolis. Nearly every view in the city includes a green backdrop. Glasgow was already a city well known for having the most parks per capita, but now is one of the leading European Greenspace Cities – including parks, public gardens, playing fields, playgrounds, allotments and community areas. Wildflower meadows where brownfield sites, car parks, and dilapidated buildings used to be. Or still are and have become integrated. A new beauty is found in seeing the unsustainable, crumbling architecture of last century against the never ending growth of nature, in all her colours. The smaller greenspaces are no bigger than a quarter of a hectare and dot all across the city and neighbourhoods, while established larger spaces still thrive, like Glasgow Green. However, Glasgow is a purpose-driven city, and the “Greener Glasgow” movement is as much about food sustainability as it is aesthetics. Due to Scotland’s generally cool/wet climate, along with the benefits of the Gulf Stream, edible plants are cultivated at every reach in these greenspaces. 

Part of the purpose-driven attitude and greener policies are related features, such as flexible working conditions and agile organisations. A decade of focus on social care, where our more vulnerable elderly population are being cared for, with an emphasis on better quality of life, as opposed to last century’s box-ticking efforts.

This is the country’s reaction to the latest generational pandemic; Preparation from the lessons learned.