The Glasgow Green Map project intends to help local people cultivate a greener Glasgow through positive action.

We are calling the project Dear Green Place; a phrase of debated historic origins used to describe the city.

Glasgow is Scotland's largest city with a population of just under 600,000. Famed throughout the world as an industrial hub and trading mecca during the 19th Century, Glasgow has reinvented it's self in recent times as the cultural and commercial capital of Scotland, boasting the largest retail sector in the UK outside of London.

Despite an ongoing program of economic regeneration, the city still suffers from high levels of poverty. According the National Index of Multiple Deprivation 36% of the worst 15% of the most deprived areas in Scotland are within Glasgow evident in the cities poor health and higher then average unemployment statistics. Poor air quality within the city centre, and consistently high levels of litter and waste on the streets are additional indicators of a city that is far from sustainable.

Initially focusing on the theme of 'Reuse' the Glasgow Green Map will feature information about Community Organisations and Charity Shops that take donations of and sell re-usable goods. As well as delivering valuable environmental benefits to the city, these organisations also tackle poverty and social exclusion through their work and we hope the Green Map will assist in raising their profile and profits.

The Glasgow Green Map project aims to highlight the Reuse and Recycling opportunities available in Glasgow and promote partnership working between charities and community enterprises working to divert waste from landfill.

This thematic green map is being used to lay down the foundation of a more extensive Green Mapping project. Once established on line at www.deargreenplace.org this site will enable more data on a much wider range of themes to be added.

Funded through Glasgow Community Recycling Forum (a net work of community based organisations) the map was created by collating data from City Council data bases, charity websites and email requests. This data was then verified by a group of volunteers.

This was then collated into a data base and formatted into a map.Volunteers worked alongside a graphic designer to develop the map's look, feel which is distinct to the city.

The map was distributed through charity shops, cafe's and at community events, reaching a wide audience including disadvantaged groups; people recently rehoused through the social system and asylum seekers

The publication of the recycling and reuse map resulted in:
increased awareness of local reuse opportunities

increased public awareness of volunteer opportunities

increased understanding of the scope of the voluntary sectors role in the development of a robust recycling and reuse infrastructure.

The web based version of the green map is scheduled for release in September 2008. The project has been made possible through the involvement of a dedicated team of volunteers who have met for over a year to develop both the web and paper based projects.

A reprint of the map has just been commissioned by Clean Glasgow!