Blog: Urban Beach | Dundee

The city of Dundee is currently going through a £1billion transformation of the waterfront area. The main focal point and emphasis is the central waterfront encapsulating the V&A, Slessor Gardens and a new ‘urban beach’. The new urban beach will be a dynamic and inclusive civic space that bridges the gap between Slessor Gardens and the River Tay. 

The proposed waterfront will host the new urban beach, soft/hardscaped areas, water features, and also small pavilions providing the public with basic amenities. The introduction of water will not only encourage wildlife to the centre, but will also add visual and physical fluidity to peoples lives who pass by the space encouraging them to take a break and relax away from the busy built up environment. This reinvented public space will be an oasis the public will enjoy using and spending time in. 

With the introduction of the pandemic to the world, it became evident that Dundee was lacking external public spaces in and around the main city centre. As a student at the university of Dundee and also an individual who is constantly going around the Dundee and Tayside area I have noticed there are very few spaces the public can be seen actively using and at the same time being comfortable using which is why the introduction of an urban beach will help rejuvenate the city and revive the joy in its occupants when they are out in the city. 

I am excited to see what becomes of this external space, how will the public use it? and what activities will it is used for?- watch this space..