city systems- full report

EC937 FULL REPORT GORDON BEST

EC937 City Systems and Infrastructure Gordon Best 201109204

Brief

A high value, light manufacturing company has identified the city of Glasgow as a potential

site for a new European regional headquarters. The site accommodates 500 workers in the

design, manufacture, and administration roles of development, as well as legal and financial

departments. A skilled workforce is required, with technicians and professional engineers

needed to ensure an efficient and high quality manufacturing process. The regional

headquarters will also be visited by staff from the Corporate Headquarters located in

Canada.

Full Individual Project Report Contents 1.1 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................. 2

2.1 City Functionality ................................................................................................................ 2

2.1.1 City Background ....................................................................................................... 2

2.1.2 Transport Infrastructure ............................................................................................ 2

2.1.3 Energy Infrastructure ................................................................................................ 4

2.1.4 Water & Wastewater Infrastructure .......................................................................... 6

2.1.5 Digital Infrastructure ................................................................................................. 6

2.1.6 Additional Information ............................................................................................. 7

2.2 City Functionality Conclusions.................................................................................... 7

3.1 Quality of Life...................................................................................................................... 8

3.1.1 City Background ....................................................................................................... 8

3.1.2 Transport Infrastructure ............................................................................................ 9

3.1.3 Energy Infrastructure ................................................................................................ 9

3.1.4 Water & Wastewater Infrastructure ........................................................................ 10

3.1.5 Digital Infrastructure ............................................................................................... 10

3.1.6 Additional Information ........................................................................................... 10

3.2 Quality of Life Conclusions ....................................................................................... 11

4.1 Overall Recommendations ................................................................................................. 12

5.1 References .......................................................................................................................... 13


1.1 Executive Summary To investigate the potential for Glasgow to accommodate the regional headquarters, this

report will analyse the factors required to achieve the aims of the headquarters.

Firstly, it will examine the ability of Glasgow’s existing, and planned, systems and

infrastructure to support a high level of City Functionality, focussing specifically on the

city’s:

Transport links

Energy Infrastructure

Water & Wastewater Infrastructure

Digital Infrastructure

It will then look into additional information which may be relevant to the company’s decision

in terms of overall functionality. Conclusions will then be made as to the viability of the city

to provide the level of functionality requested by the report’s brief.

Secondly, the report will analyse how these infrastructure systems will support a good quality

of life for the company’s proposed workforce. It will look into factors of accessibility, long

term sustainability and general resilience of the systems. The report will review the success

of the infrastructure to provide a high Quality Of Life, both in the existing and proposed

developments of Glasgow.

Finally, the report will give its recommendation for the company; analysing the feasibility of

Glasgow to accomplish the goals of providing both a functional system of infrastructures and

a high quality of life for the workforce.

2.1 City Functionality

2.1.1 City Background

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland, with a population of 592,820 at the 2011 National

Census, with 67% at working age (16-65). It has a notable industrial past, which generated a

significant part of the city’s wealth, and now attracts over 2000 companies from abroad, such

as Rolls Royce and Doosan Babcock, with turnover in excess of £100 billion (Invest

Glasgow, 2015). This can be partially attributed to Glasgow being part of the Eurocities

network of major European cities, promoting commercial cooperation and trade. The city is

in the top twenty financial centres in Europe (Glasgow City Council, 2014), leading to

additional investment in the city systems which attract business, promoting further growth.

2.1.2 Transport Infrastructure

Glasgow has a classical city layout, with a central business district surrounded by inner city

in a grid plan, with extensive suburban commuter zones. The city is densely populated, with

8,790 people/mile2, the 5th highest in the UK. (National Census, 2011) It has an extensive

infrastructure system, with three international airports within an hour’s drive, one of which,

Prestwick Airport, provides global freight links via some of the world’s largest cargo

transporters, including CargoLux, which operate on every continent. Glasgow Airport has


regular links with three major airport hubs, Amsterdam, London Heathrow and Dubai, as well

as ninety other major airports, including several in Canada, offering effective access for

company staff. Furthermore, Glasgow possesses significant rail resources. For example,

Mossend Rail Freight Park, which provides frequent cargo links with mainland Europe.

Glasgow also has the UK’s largest suburban railway network outside of London.

Additionally, there are extensive shipping links at the nearby Greenock Terminal, where

arrivals relating to the materials required for light industry, for example electronic

components, arrive each day (Clyde Maritime, 2015). The Greenock Terminal recently linked

with the deep water ports in Liverpool and Rotterdam, hugely boosting the export capacity of

the city, and drastically reducing export costs to other UK cities, North America, and Europe

(Scotsman, 2015).

A subway system, frequent commuter bus services, and a comprehensive road network,

ensure a high level of universal accessibility and connectivity for businesses, and employees,

in the city. To demonstrate this, Glasgow was awarded the title of 18th highest scoring city in

Europe (out of over five hundred) for transport links (BASE City, 2015).

Furthermore, the staging of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow led to significant

infrastructure redevelopment plans. These plans included the £692million completion of the

M74 extension, multiple minor projects in the city centre, and 50km of further electrification

in the city’s railway lines.

However, with expected increases in car ownership levels, it is projected that by 2022,

between 8% and 11% of the city’s road network will be operating at, or over, capacity.

(Transport Scotland)

Future infrastructure plans to maintain and improve transport capacity include improvements

to the M8 motorway to Edinburgh, and the development of a high speed line, linking

Glasgow to other proposed high speed rail projects in the South of England, although this

vision may be aspirational, since the current project team suggest there is no business case to

extend the project into Scotland, despite Scottish Government objections. Proposals have

been approved to extend the existing Mossend Rail Freight Terminal, renaming to the

Mossend International Freight Park, increasing the city’s UK and European freight capacity

by 66%. (MIRP, 2015) In addition to future developments, the transport sector remains

committed to reducing carbon emissions, reducing these by 15% from 2007/09 (Transport

Scotland), and aiming to reduce this further by introducing electric vehicle charging points,

and by encouraging cycling and walking as viable modes of transport within the city.

These plans will lead to further expansion of the commuting range of the city and improved

transport links with surrounding areas and further afield, resulting in economic growth for the

city’s economy, and for the populace. Moreover, the plans look to create a sustainable model

for the city’s infrastructure, considering and mitigating the environmental and social impact

of proposed projects, leading to further improvements in the quality of life for the company’s

workforce in the city.

However, there have been comments from local groups, for example the Task Force on Low

Carbon Infrastructure, as well as a director of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE),

claiming that Scotland, and Glasgow in particular, is spending too much on projects which

continue to increase public energy use, for example the traffic on new road developments.

Instead of continuing to invest in large infrastructure projects, they suggest that improving


travel efficiency and public travel habits should be prioritised to lessen the carbon footprint of

the city. In other similar countries, 72% of infrastructure spending is specifically targeted to

reduce carbon emissions, however the Scottish equivalent is only 52% (BBC News, 2015).

This statistic indicates there seems to be a reactive focus to reducing emission levels after

release rather than a proactive solution to prevent the severity of carbon emissions in the first

place.

Several independent organisations have put forward their suggestions to help further improve

the city’s poor air quality. Soot Free Glasgow worked alongside the Glasgow Transport

Strategy team to conduct feasibility studies regarding a low emissions zone in the city, also

known as a LEZ. This zone would help to reduce the number of “dirty vehicles” in operation

in the city centre, particularly relating to buses, where privately owned companies would

have to update their fleet to come into line with new emissions standards. This zone

development could potentially link in with the plans to develop the city’s electric vehicle

facilities, where low emission travel by car could be achieved.

2.1.3 Energy Infrastructure

Besides the setup of the city’s transport infrastructure, there are other advanced systems in

place to benefit business and to ensure high quality of life for the local population. The

energy grid is efficient, resilient, and comprehensive, as demonstrated by the selection of the

city by the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities, which noted energy efficiency and

emission reductions in Glasgow as key commitments to resiliency (RC100, 2015).

The city’s energy infrastructure has provided 11-13,000GWh per year since 2006 (DECC),

with sustainability measures in place to ensure Glasgow continues to supply the population in

addition to reducing its carbon footprint by 30% by 2020 from 2006 levels. (OPEN Glasgow,

2015)

The city is ranked the 9th lowest in the UK regarding the average amount of electricity

consumed per capita annually, but 47th for average amount of gas used per year (British Gas).

The city attributes 48% of energy consumption to natural gas, mostly for heating purposes,

and transported using the national gas grid to reach domestic and non-domestic properties.

25% of the energy consumption can be attributed to electricity taken from the national

electricity grid, and 27% from petrol based energy sources. The main consumers of the

energy in the city are in the industrial sector, utilising 40% of the city’s supply, with

domestic/residential and transport based sectors at 35% and 25% usage respectively. (Energy

and Carbon Masterplan, 2013)

The city is equipped with a variety of sites able to accommodate the 2 Bar medium pressure

natural gas systems potentially required to fuel some light industry equipment, and an

extensive infrastructure to manage the varying degree of pressures required to transport this

natural gas through high pressure transmission lines to the low pressure requirements of

residential zones, and the medium pressure supplies of commercial and industrial zones.

In order to reduce the dependency on fossil fuel based fuel sources, and to mitigate harmful

emission levels, steps have been taken to encourage the use of renewable energy sources, and

to take a more responsible approach to the carbon footprint of the city. In 2006, the city

released over four million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere through industrial


and transport use, affecting the health and wellbeing of the population. By 2012, this had

been reduced to just over 3.5 million tonnes, a 13% reduction in the carbon emissions in just

six years. This improvement was partly accomplished by tackling transport and congestion

problems, but mostly by ensuring domestic and non-domestic properties, where 77% of

carbon emissions were sourced (Energy and Carbon Masterplan, 2013), were more suitably

built and managed.

The city’s new energy policy for developments requires buildings to be designed with solar

energy potential in mind, to maximise the potential for energy gathering. (DES 1:

Development Design Principles, DES 2: Sustainable Design and Construction and RES 2:

Residential Layouts). In addition, the policy necessitates that companies explore the

possibility of installing equipment to utilise the energy gathered from solar power to heat the

property. The new policy requires that larger properties of over 500m2 adopt the Scottish

Planning Policy Plan to install zero/low carbon equipment to further reduce their carbon

emissions.

From an innovation standpoint, the Energy Trust was established in 2014 to develop new

solutions to handling energy demands while encouraging sustainable and responsible

emissions levels. Furthermore, the newly written Energy and Carbon Masterplan for

Glasgow will establish a framework to gradually develop Glasgow from its industrial past

into a low carbon city. A further 657,596 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions are required to

be reduced by the city in order to achieve the 30% reduction which was targeted in the E&C

Masterplan in 2006, but it is hoped that these new initiatives will help to find ways in which

to improve the emissions standards of domestic and non-domestic properties, and to improve

the quality of the city’s air.

Despite these initiatives clearly reducing the harmful emissions of the city, there is concern

from the Institution of Civil Engineers regarding government plans to close down 55% of

Scotland’s fossil fuel and nuclear electricity generating capacity. They feel that such changes

will lead to future reliability issues in the energy sector, where a dependency on renewable

energy sources may necessitate considerable electricity imports, instead of the current setup

to export the generated surplus (Telegraph.co.uk, October 2015).

The concern about renewable energy sources is primarily attributed to the low levels of

reliability in their energy generation systems. With such a consistently high public demand

for electricity and heating, the dramatic fluctuations in energy generation from sources such

as wind or solar power simply cannot facilitate the current needs of the public. This

observation can be demonstrated by the hourly operating power of the wind turbines at the

time of this report being 2.5MW (UK Energy Watch), less than a fifth of the hourly operating

potential of 13.4MW (Renewable Energy UK). The Adam Smith Institute published a report

suggesting it was totally unfeasible to replace the UK’s fossil fuel based fuel systems with the

current renewable alternatives, simply due to the unreliability of these systems. Instead, the

report suggested that reducing the emphasis on fossil fuels gradually would be a more

sustainable plan, allowing the reliability of the renewables sector to improve, resulting in a

more effective solution.

To reduce the emphasis on natural gas as a heating requirement; waste to energy and district

heating systems schemes are being proposed in parts of the city under the City Council’s

Local Development Plan. These district heating schemes replace several inefficient heating

systems with a singular, highly efficient natural gas powered heating component.


Furthermore, making improvements in the insulation of buildings will help to reduce the

energy requirements of properties, improving efficiencies, and decreasing the energy bills of

the population.

2.1.4 Water & Wastewater Infrastructure

Also in place are water and wastewater treatment systems, boasting considerable assets, with

a future commitment to making the most of Scotland’s “Hydro Nation” economic potential.

Scotland is fortunate to possess bountiful supplies of freshwater, mostly contained in

freshwater lakes in the highlands and central belt of the country. The main source of wealth

creation for countries with a surplus in the water supply lies in exports. As international

relations and trade links improve, thanks to events such as the HydroNation Forum, recently

hosted in neighbouring Edinburgh, it is increasingly likely that Scotland will seek to export

larger amounts of water (CL 946 Global Water Policy Report, 2015).

Scottish Water will work closely with the Scottish Government to forecast population growth

and increases in demand from the water infrastructure to ensure capacity remains controlled,

and a healthy surplus remains to allow these international exports to continue to provide

economic benefits.

With the strong economic backbone of these potential exports, Scottish Water committed to a

£2.5 billion investment strategy for the 2010-15 period (Scottish Water: Sustainable

Investment Plan, 2015), equivalent to £1million per day, to modernise essential components

of the water infrastructure, for example treatment works. This investment was also used to

develop new facilities, such as the Edinburgh Major Treatment Centre. Scottish Water

recently unveiled plans of a further £3.5 billion investment programme from 2015-21, where

the network will continue to develop. This proposed infrastructure programme will lead to a

comprehensive and effective water network, supporting an improvement in the quality of

health and general life quality for the company’s potential workforce.

The distribution for Scottish Water’s 13,000 non-domestic customers is handled by a

subsidiary company called Business Stream, handling a market with gross value in excess of

£330million (ScottishWater.com). In 2017, full competition will be introduced to the UK

non-domestic market, where business can select their water provider without geographical

restrictions. This introduction will result in a competitive market, leading to potential

company savings.

2.1.5 Digital Infrastructure

A comprehensive network infrastructure plays a large part in Glasgow’s business success,

with investments of over £50 billion, from BT’s £2.5billion venture in thirty UK cities,

permitting the creation of fast, free broadband access in the city, and initiatives such as the

Digital Glasgow Project ensuring further development in the city’s digital infrastructure.

Glasgow has fallen behind other cities in the UK for the release of the digital infrastructure in

recent years, mostly due to lack of private investment. However, by 2017, this initiative

hopes to lead Glasgow to becoming one of the world’s most successful “digital cities” by

taking advantage of affordable and effective new software systems, helping to deliver

comprehensive opportunities and advantages to the public, and to the city’s businesses.


Glasgow has begun a £24 million programme named the Future Cities Demonstrator which

looks to implement technology to improve the efficiency and safety of the city. This system

will utilise over two hundred data items in various strategic locations to gather information,

for example, commercial footfalls or street light usage. This general data can be accessed

online, after processing and release, by businesses, local people and the city council to

improve efficiencies and general city life. There is potential for this system to monitor

company energy usage, the footfall of the product’s eventual store, and other relevant data,

allowing the regional headquarters to better understand its operation, and perhaps improve

efficiency.

2.1.6 Additional Information

As well as the comprehensive and advanced infrastructures in place, the city of Glasgow has

extensive academic links, with five higher education institutes providing approximately

20,000 graduates per year (Invest Glasgow, 2012). Those graduates offer a future workforce,

providing a wide range of valuable skills to businesses. In addition to providing a skilled

workforce, these institutions work closely with business in pioneering research studies, and

problem solving. The high quality of academic organisations in the city generate a large

proportion of the city’s wealth, with over £1.3 billion contributed to the economy in 2011

(Invest Glasgow, 2015).

To incentivise companies to locate in Glasgow, there is a vast array of tax assistance, venture

capital and funding schemes, for example the “SMART: Scotland” grant. Moreover, a number

of sites have been granted “Enterprise Area” status, which offers significantly discounted

business rates and assistance in recruitment or in general business development.

The result of these incentives is a large light industry sector in the city, demonstrating

potential for working links and synergy, where ideas, information and materials can be shared

to maximise efficiency and profits for the company.

2.2 City Functionality Conclusions

To conclude, Glasgow possesses all of the requirements for a functional regional

headquarters with no major gaps in provisions. The population levels and city layout make

for a significant potential market and workforce, all of which can be accessed using the

extensive Transport Infrastructure system. The existing transport network provides a wide

variety of methods for the workforce of the business to travel to the selected business

location, and an effective system for raw materials, personnel and products to link with the

wider international community.

Although observations have been made regarding potential future capacity issues within the

network, adequate solutions are being developed to increase this capacity, and to ensure the

efficiency of the network remains sustainable.

In addition to the transport links, the Energy Infrastructure utilises a reliable form of fuel to

support the population’s electricity and heating needs. The city has a multitude of locations

where light industry can achieve the required pressure of gas supply for function, and a

reliable transmission system to ensure consistent delivery.


Steps are being taken by the city to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the city, so to

ensure approval from the city council, the development of the site should be completed in

cooperation with local council developers to ensure all energy standards relating to energy

efficiency and emissions are met.

The Water & Wastewater Infrastructure is comprehensive and extensive following major

investment programmes from the nation’s supplier, Scottish Water. The company delivers a

high standard product from freshwater sources to the residential and non-domestic customers,

whilst maintaining a message of responsible economic utilisation of the water resource

through renewable energy systems and exports.

The investments in the Network Infrastructure highlights the city’s commitment to develop

business links, and to ensure growth continues for all companies choosing to locate there. By

2017, the city seeks to be a world leader in digital city systems, with a variety of advanced

digital systems in place to monitor the efficiency of a variety of sectors in the city. With this

level of development, the company can seek to improve its own efficiency, most likely in

energy, for the location determined to situate.

The high standard and volume of graduates from the local higher institutes of education fulfil

the requirement to employ a highly skilled and technical workforce, and indicates potential

for links to cooperate in research. The business incentives highlight an opportunity to locate

for tremendous value if grants and tax assistance can be agreed upon with the local

government.

3.1 Quality of Life

3.1.1 City Background

Glasgow is developing a global reputation as a city with a high standard of living. In

Mercer’s 2015 Quality of Living Rankings, Glasgow was 55th in global life quality, beating

much larger and richer cities, such as Dubai and Philadelphia. Factors such as infrastructure

quality, cost of living, and health were studied to produce the results, awarding Glasgow 3rd

place in the UK, behind only London and Birmingham.

Looking specifically at the quality of Glasgow’s infrastructure and city systems, the

workforce of the company could expect a high level of functionality and life quality.

It is widely accepted by city planners and politicians that a reliable and robust infrastructure

is paramount for a high quality of living. Audit firm Ernst & Young note that wise strategic

investment in infrastructure can improve a variety of social, economic and environmental

factors, where employment levels increase, and other life quality indicators are consequences

of this investment.


3.1.2 Transport Infrastructure

For the proposed workforce of the company, the highly developed and globally recognised

city transport links will provide a high quality of life. Easy and quick access to work will

increase life satisfaction, thanks to reduced stress levels during commutes and general travel.

Furthermore, quick road links to Glasgow’s extensive leisure, commercial and healthcare

facilities via public and privately owned transport will support a more pleasant lifestyle. The

proposed developments, such as the M8 update, and the suburban/cargo rail links, will ensure

that the working capacity of the transport infrastructure remains controlled and sustainable,

where network shockwaves such as travel disruptions in major trunk roads have a lessened

impact on the entire network, demonstrating robustness and resiliency.

Wider transport links, such as the railway stations and airports, support global accessibility,

which Research Gate links with a high level of life quality, where there are no limits to

potential travel destinations. This link will allow ease of travel to loved ones in other

countries, and provide access to other global travel factors. (Researchgate.net)

The link between reduced use of transport to improve air quality, and general healthy living

will have a positive effect of the quality of life of the population. With reduced carbon

emissions, the overall health of the public is likely to improve into the future. Furthermore,

the improved accessibility to environmentally friendly travel routes, like cycle paths, will

lead to a healthier lifestyle for the population, increasing life expectancy and overall life

satisfaction for the proposed workforce of the company.

3.1.3 Energy Infrastructure

The energy grid of the city comprehensively supports the population’s heating and general

electricity requirements, at a domestic and non-domestic level, utilising currently reliable

natural gas fuel sources. As mentioned in the functionality study, plans are in place to reduce

the dependency on the fossil fuel sector, so these plans should be strictly monitored to

evaluate the potential impact on the quality of life for the company’s workforce.

Sustainability plans are in place to ensure the carbon emissions of the city are decreased, thus

improving air quality, and the general health of the populace.

Despite these improvements, Glasgow still has some of the highest levels of air pollution, and

worst general health in the UK, with 305 deaths per year in the city attributed to poor air

quality (FOE Scotland, 2014). This damage is most likely due to the dangerous levels of

Nitrogen Dioxide in the city’s air. Glasgow is one of sixteen cities in Europe to breach the

safety standards set by the European health laws. It should be noted by the company that

although levels are being reduced significantly, the city centre is unlikely to be free of air

quality related problems until 2025, a full fifteen years after these levels were targeted to be

met. (FOE Scotland, 2014)


3.1.4 Water & Wastewater Infrastructure

The public benefits to an extensive and comprehensive water & wastewater infrastructure are

evident. With the substantial assets owned by Scottish Water, the citizens of Glasgow will

continue to access a high quality, and reliable, source of drinking water, supporting a high

standard of health, and a good life quality.

In addition to the direct benefits, indirect benefits can be derived from the water resources

through responsibly utilising these for economic gain. This economic gain can be gathered

through using renewable sources of energy, or by exporting the water resource

internationally. Through this economic gain, further investments can be made into the

existing city systems, and into new developments to ensure the economy of the city, and the

standard of living, continue to improve.

3.1.5 Digital Infrastructure

The increased network capabilities in the city have resulted in significant improvements in

life quality for the populace. The benefits realised from internet accessibility can be found in

educational, financial, social and cultural aspects. With access to extensive information and

comprehensive utilities, for example maps, the company’s workforce can expect to learn

more, and be more connected than a city with a less developed network infrastructure.

Glasgow’s plans to develop into a global leader in digital system links will lead to a much

more efficient and effective city network, where all sectors of infrastructure work in unison to

achieve optimum safety and benefits for the population. By monitoring the proficiency of the

transport, water and energy infrastructures, data can be collected to develop viable solutions

to existing problems, and to configure innovative new systems, further improving the lifestyle

of the city’s people.

3.1.6 Additional Information

In addition to infrastructure, the city boasts a variety of academic and commercial

opportunities which benefit the population and lead to a high standard of living. Having

academic institutions with such excellent reputations in the city increases the standard of

education in the city, developing a more skilled and versatile workforce. With such a capable

workforce, businesses are attracted to locate in the city to develop links with the graduate

pool.

In recent years, the city has undergone a considerable level of urban regeneration, partly in

preparation for hosting the 2014 Commonwealth Games. This change is most notable along

the banks of the River Clyde, where the twelve year Clyde Waterfront Regeneration Plan has

transformed the rundown, brownfield remnants of Glasgow’s shipbuilding past to a vibrant

and dynamic area of business and cultural attractions, for example the International

Financial Services District (IFSD), and BBC Scotland headquarters.


The effective transport links allow access to the extensive cultural highlights in the city, for

example newly constructed museums and concert venues. Furthermore, the efficient

motorway system allows for quick access to the countryside, where National Parks and other

“urban escape” areas can be found.

The above justification for business will have a tremendous effect on the local population,

where employment rates will increase due to increased business attraction to the city. The rise

in employment will lead to a boost in the economy of the area, resulting in further investment

in the city systems which attract businesses and improve local quality of life initially,

sparking a cycle of growth and prosperity for the city of Glasgow.

With these incentives to locate business in Glasgow, the local community will see a

significant growth in employment rates. This growth can be attributed both to new businesses

opening, but also to indirect job creations as effects of an improved economy, leading to

further positive growth in the economy, and an enhanced life quality.

3.2 Quality of Life Conclusions

The existing infrastructure systems support a high standard of living for the population of the

city.

Comprehensive local and global transport links support useful levels of accessibility to

attractions in the city and beyond, a key factor of life quality, in addition to encouraging

healthy modes of travel to support a higher standard of lifestyle and general health. Although

air quality standards are low in comparison to other UK cities, steps are being taken to ensure

that continual improvements are made to reduce the level of harmful emissions. Proposed

infrastructure developments ensure that capacity will remain consistent, or even improve in

the future, providing links to opportunities for working, commercial and leisure based

activities.

The energy infrastructure is comprehensive and robust, ensuring that the population

consistently receives the electricity and heating needs from a reliable, although not

sustainable, natural gas supply. Glasgow suffers from low standards of air quality from high

levels of carbon emissions, but plans are in place to lessen its dependency on fossil fuels,

meaning improvements for the city’s air supply due to reductions in carbon emissions,

although the reliability of the fuel source under renewable systems may require further study.

The water & wastewater systems provide high standards of supply to the city’s population,

bringing with it a vast array of health and lifestyle benefits. In addition to these benefits, the

country is deriving economic benefits from the utilisation of the water resource.

With improvements being continuously made to the city’s network infrastructure, Glasgow’s

population are becoming more connected than ever before. The benefits resultant from

internet accessibility are plentiful, improving the educational, social and cultural aspects of

the population’s daily lives. The development of the digital city vision will help to improve

the efficiency of the city, benefitting the populace with improved public facility and general

city experience.

The academic links within the city permit the opportunity of further learning and career

progression, likely to result in higher incomes and improved general life satisfaction.


4.1 Overall Recommendations

This report recommends that Glasgow would make a highly suitable city to locate the

regional headquarters. The existing infrastructure systems would be effective in delivering a

high level of functionality for the company, and proposed developments would allow the

capacity of this infrastructure to continue. There are no evident gaps in the transport, energy,

water and network infrastructure provisions, demonstrating a robust and resilient city setup.

Regarding the quality of life for the company’s workforce, Glasgow’s comprehensive and

extensive infrastructure systems make for a high standard of living. Although standards in the

general health of the population have been affected by poor air quality, significant steps are

being taken to ensure this problem is resolved.

Therefore, Glasgow meets the two requirements of the proposed regional headquarters, both

in providing a platform for a high level of functionality for light industry, with sustainable

infrastructure, and providing a city where the company’s work force can enjoy a high quality

of life.

5000 words


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