How Glasgow is using play to reimagine the city centre: the “Mud Pie Economy”

Councillor Ruairi Kelly, City Convener for Housing, Development, Built Heritage and Land Use, reflects on progress since he hosted a Child Friendly City Summit and how learning through the Urban95 programme is emphasising the role of play in shaping the city’s future. 

In November 2025, Glasgow brought together policymakers, practitioners and civic leaders for a Child Friendly City Summit, sharing learning from the Urban95 programme and setting out an ambition to make the city centre work better for children – and therefore for everyone. The challenge was clear: how do you translate high-level commitments into tangible change on the ground?

Seven months later, on Saturday 13 June 2026, Glasgow City Council and partners put that ambition to the test.

To mark the International Day of Play, as well as launching ‘Places for Play’, a practical guide to creating play spaces shaped by girls and young people’s voices, officers from Planning and Glasgow Life, the city’s cultural agency, worked with the social enterprise Playful Anywhere to transform St Enoch Square into a temporary playground. Also joining the council were Inspiring Scotland’s Thrive Outdoors and SWG3. What emerged was more than a successful event. It was a compelling demonstration that play can act as a low-cost, high-impact regeneration tool – what Glasgow has termed its emerging “Mud Pie Economy”.

From strategy to street-level change

The concept behind the Mud Pie Economy is simple but powerful. For decades, children’s opportunities to play have steadily diminished. In the UK, a child’s “roaming distance” – how far they are allowed to travel independently – has reportedly shrunk by around 90% over four generations, while screen-based activity has increased. 

The consequences are not only individual but societal: less physical activity, fewer opportunities to develop social skills, and weaker connections to place.

Glasgow’s response reframes play as essential urban infrastructure. Rather than treating it as a discretionary extra or confining it to designated playgrounds, the Mud Pie approach asks a different question: what happens when we design city centres around children’s needs?

Evidence suggests that when cities become easier for young children to navigate – through safer streets, accessible amenities and opportunities for informal play – they become more attractive for families, increasing footfall and economic vitality. 

The St Enoch Square Play Day was designed as a “test and learn” intervention to explore this hypothesis in practice.

A city square transformed

Between 10:00 and 16:30, the southern section of St Enoch Square – typically seen as a transient or even problematic space – was reimagined as a child-centred environment. Loose play equipment, building materials, chalk play, swing ball and table tennis, marble runs and sheltered creative spaces invited children to lead their own activity, while seating and layout ensured carers could comfortably stay and engage.

The results were immediate and striking.

Over the course of the day, more than 150 children participated alongside approximately 230 parents and carers. The age range was broad, from toddlers to teenagers, and, notably, extended to older adults who joined in or stayed to observe. 

Dwell time exceeded expectations. Families spent an average of 35–40 minutes in the Square, with many staying for three hours or more, and some returning multiple times across the day. 

As one grandparent put it: 

“People have lost how to have fun. But if you bring them together it shows how easy they remember”

This shift, from pass-through space to active destination, was one of the clearest indicators of success.

Changing behaviour and perception

Beyond participation numbers, the event revealed a deeper transformation in how the space was used and experienced.

Observers noted a substantial and immediate shift in atmosphere, from a space often associated with the need for dispersal of anti-social behaviour to one characterised by calm, sociability and shared enjoyment. 

Children moved confidently across the space, engaging in a wide spectrum of play – from exploratory behaviour among toddlers to cooperative games, creative activities and social interaction among older groups. Adults did not simply supervise; they participated. Parents, carers and even passers-by joined in games, struck up conversations and formed spontaneous social connections.

Importantly, the presence of children and families altered wider patterns of behaviour. Groups previously associated with negative use of the space dispersed or joined in, while local workers – from retail staff to transport employees – came out to observe, enquire and play.

The message was clear: play changes how space feels, and how people behave within it.

Inclusion as a defining strength

One of the most significant outcomes of the day was its inclusivity.

The event was free, open-access and required no booking, removing barriers to participation. As a result, it attracted a diverse mix of users: local families, tourists, teenagers, older adults, people with disabilities, individuals with additional learning needs, and those without children who simply wanted to spend time in the space.

Observers highlighted strong evidence of social mixing and shared ownership, with people from different backgrounds interacting in ways rarely seen in the Square. 

Inclusion was not incidental; it was fundamental to the model. By prioritising children’s needs, safe, welcoming, flexible environments, spaces become more inclusive for everyone.

This aligns with wider child-friendly city principles: that designing for the youngest residents produces benefits that extend across society.

Laura Frood, Creative Placemaking Lead for SWG3, a Glasgow agency that aims to ignite Glasgow’s creative energy and bring people together through inspirational experiences, connections and opportunities, said; 

“I’ve been banging on about bringing Playful Anywhere to Glasgow for about a decade, so when I heard about the pop up play day, I thought finally this is happening! On the day it was really powerful, so many different cultures, ethnicities, ages and abilities connection through a shared experience of play, laughter and nostalgia.

We were chatting to a woman who felt comfortable to open up about her life experiences, she said that she was healing her inner child by being there, at one point we swung a skipping rope and she stepped in with one of the mothers who was there with her children. And for a moment, those two women shared something that was quite magical.”

Economic potential in practice

While the primary aim of the Play Day was social and spatial transformation, early signs of economic impact were also evident.

Local businesses reported increased family footfall, and staff from nearby shops and services actively engaged with the event. The longer dwell times created more opportunities for spending, while the improved atmosphere enhanced the attractiveness of the wider area. 

This reflects a core premise of the Mud Pie Economy: prioritising children is not at odds with economic vitality, it can actively support it.

Metrics from the Mud Pie proposal were met, families who feel welcome and comfortable in city centres are more likely to stay longer, visit more often and support local businesses. 

In this sense, play becomes not just a social good but an economic strategy.

Political leadership and policy alignment

The success of the initiative also reflects strong political and organisational alignment within Glasgow.

We want Glasgow to be a city where children can thrive, and that starts with making play a priority. Play isn’t just about fun; it is vital for a healthy, happy childhood. 

By designing our streets and parks with families in mind, we are creating a safer, more welcoming city for everyone. 

Our new City Development Plan will use these values as building blocks. If we build a Glasgow that works for a toddler, we build a Glasgow that works for all of us.

This commitment is echoed across council leadership.

Councillor Laura Doherty, City Convener for Neighbourhood Services and Assets, who is leading Glasgow’s second team as part of Urban95 Team Cohort 11 highlighted the importance of everyday access to play, said:

“Safe, welcoming – and fun – spaces are vital for our kids to just be kids. Play isn’t a luxury—it’s essential for our children’s health, happiness, and growth. When we design Glasgow’s streets and parks through the eyes of a child, we create a much friendlier, safer city for every family. I am proud to champion a Glasgow where our children feel safe, seen, and truly at home in their own communities.”

At an operational level, this agenda is being embedded within planning policy and placemaking. “Putting children and young people at the heart of planning the public realm and public places has been a key part of the development of our new city development plan,” said Sarah Shaw, Head of Planning. “The Play Day at St Enochs Square complements the work we have been doing with young people… Connecting kids, their carers and parents to creation of spaces for the city.”

Crucially, the collaboration extended beyond the council, involving play experts.

Emma Bearman of Playful Anywhere CIC, a Leeds-based social enterprise specialising in play-led placemaking, described the partnership as exemplary:

“Having worked in this field for 12 years, we are finally seeing local authorities approach placemaking through play. Collaborating with Glasgow has been incredibly affirming; they truly understand it. From leadership to policy and their people on the ground, their approach is exceptional.

While other local authorities are in the early stages of exploring play’s role in placemaking, Glasgow’s leadership and vision should serve as an inspiration to councils everywhere.

Glasgow’s seamless integration of policy and delivery serves as an exemplar that other councils should follow. Our collaboration was a masterclass in mutual learning, and we look forward to building on this partnership.”

From pilot to programme

The evaluation concludes that the St Enoch Square Play Day provides strong proof of concept for scaling up this approach.

It demonstrated that play can deliver:

• Social impact: connection, wellbeing and community cohesion.
• Spatial transformation: changing how public space is used and perceived.
• Economic potential: increased footfall and positive engagement with businesses.

However, it also underlines the importance of maintaining quality and ethos. Play interventions must remain flexible, site-specific and inclusive, rather than becoming standardised or overly transactional.

The next step for Glasgow is to move from one-off events to a structured programme, embedding play within the City Centre Strategy,  the St Enoch District Regeneration Framework and the Sauchiehall Street Cultural and Heritage District initiative. And across the city.

This move also signals a broader shift: recognising play not only as a tool for regeneration, but as a way to animate and reinterpret Glasgow’s cultural and heritage offer—connecting people of all ages more meaningfully to the city centre.

Bailie Annette Christie, Chair of Glasgow Life and City Convener for Culture, Sport and International Relations, said:

“Culture and heritage are not just about preserving the past—they are about how people experience and connect with the city today. Play is a vital part of that. When children and families are visible, active and welcome in our public spaces, they bring our streets, buildings and cultural assets to life in new ways. The work we are taking forward through the Sauchiehall Street Cultural and Heritage District is about creating a city centre that invites participation, creativity and discovery. Embedding play within that approach helps us reimagine our cultural environment as something that is lived, shared and accessible to all generations.”

This includes exploring repeat pop-up play days, expanding to additional sites, investing in infrastructure such as mobile play equipment, and strengthening partnerships across the city.

A model for other places

For councils across the UK, the lessons from Glasgow are both practical and strategic.

First, start small but think big. Temporary interventions provide a low-risk way to test ideas, gather evidence and build support.

Second, design with, and for, children. Their needs provide a powerful lens through which to reimagine public space.

Third, connect policy to delivery. The success of the St Enoch Square Play Day was underpinned by alignment between political leadership, planning policy and on-the-ground practice.

Finally, recognise play as a legitimate and valuable use of urban space, not as an add-on, but as a core element of inclusive, vibrant and economically resilient cities.

Reclaiming the city

At its heart, the Mud Pie Economy is about more than play. It is about reclaiming the city as a shared space, one that invites participation, fosters connection and supports everyday life.

For a few hours on a Saturday in June, St Enoch Square offered a glimpse of what that could look like: children building dens, teenagers playing games, adults rediscovering the joy of play, and strangers becoming friends and neighbours.

Or, as one participant put it simply: “You have turned the Square into a playground!”

Glasgow’s challenge now is to make that vision permanent.