We’re attending the Geddes 2021 - a new greenspace plan for Dunfermline Conference being held virtually this Friday.
In 1904, the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust engaged Sir Patrick Geddes to develop a radical plan for Pittencrieff Park in Dunfermline. The urban theories of the celebrated Scottish polymath, such as the concept of “conservative surgery”, are becoming increasingly influential as we seek to understand that good regeneration needs to respect place, people and history. The event will bring the community together with academics, professionals, business leaders and local politicians to revisit Geddes’s plan, ideas, common themes and challenges to take inspiration from his remarkable work.
Our proposals for a new City Square will be featured in the virtual exhibition booths as part of the Conference programme. Similar to Geddes’ 1904 plan, the idea seeks to rebalance the towns eastward expansion, to creating a new civic quarter inspired by the tight mediaeval street pattern of the old town. They propose integrating the head of the High Street with the stunning Pittencrieff Park and Glen, connecting with the historic, architectural, civic and religious jewels of the Abbey, Palace and City Chambers. The result is a new Dunfermline leisure quarter, integrating park and heritage sites into a fully serviced whole, to provide a new economic driver at the heart of the Town.
