19 September 2025 (17:30 - 18:30) What does a visionary city do with its historic buildings? As SAVE Britain’s Heritage celebrates 50 years of national campaigning, join Conservation Officer Lydia Franklin for a talk exploring how old buildings — often empty, overlooked or at risk — can play a vital role in shaping Glasgow’s future. From mills and department stores to terraces and town halls, SAVE has championed the reuse of historic buildings as assets for sustainable growth, creativity and community life. This talk will showcase some of SAVE’s most iconic campaigns and consider how similar approaches could unlock potential in Glasgow’s vacant heritage — turning yesterday’s buildings into tomorrow’s opportunities. Reflecting the theme Glasgow: The Visionary City, this event makes the case for bold ideas, long-term thinking, and collective action to breathe new life into the past — and build a more inclusive, imaginative and resilient city for the future. Overview SAVE Britain’s Heritage campaigns to bring new life to threatened historic buildings of all types and ages We do this through the media, the planning system and where necessary the courts – in collaboration with local groups and others. Through our actions we raise awareness of the potential of reusing historic buildings that stand at the heart of our communities – and the overwhelming sustainability benefits of upgrading and adapting them over demolition and complete erasure. We often work with architects, engineers, planners and developers to offer alternative visions. These are designed to spark debate about contentious schemes and show more imaginative approaches are possible. For more than 30 years SAVE’s Buildings at Risk register – a database of remarkable properties in need of new futures – has highlighted the plight of empty and threatened buildings all over the UK. We regularly publish reports on towns or building types facing a particular threat, and we run events and tours throughout the year to highlight current cases and conservation issues. Through our persistence we have scored many major successes, from Smithfield Market to Wentworth Woodhouse, along with cinemas, schools and thousands of terraced houses – all now enjoying new life. We exist to safeguard heritage for everyone. We are fiercely independent and raise all our own support.

Address
GDODF Festival Hub, Advanced Research Centre, 11 Chapel Lane, Glasgow, G11 6EW