Amid the widespread and much-documented decline of town and city centres around Scotland, Glasgow appears to have suffered more than most.

The visible decay which has set into its very fabric, particularly since the pandemic, has been the source of much upset, debate, and soul-searching, as people accustomed to a Glasgow that is cleaner, safer, and generally more prosperous lament a city that is simply not what it used to be.

Rightly or wrongly, think of Glasgow now and all too easily an impression of grime, roadworks, upheaval, and empty shops springs to mind, especially when one considers the fall from grace of high-profile areas such as Sauchiehall Street.

But perhaps it is now time for a change of mindset.

That is the view of Glasgow nightlife stalwart Mike Grieve, owner of the renowned Sub Club on Jamaica Street, who is at the forefront of a much-welcomed new drive to improve the fortunes of the late-night economy.

Mr Grieve, a prominent champion for the Scottish night-time industry, is at the helm of a new public-private partnership which has spun out of the City Centre Taskforce and will bring forward recommendations on how to revive the night-time economy. Measures under consideration include the appointment of a new night-time manager and marketing campaigns to promote the sector, and lobbying for improvements to transport networks.

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The challenge is big. For a wide range of (well-documented) reasons, the vibrancy of the night-time economy that Glasgow was once renowned for is a shadow of its former self.

Mr Grieve, who campaigned tirelessly for his industry during the difficult Covid period, does not need to be reminded of the task at hand. He knows full well the problems which must be resolved if Glasgow is able to convince people to use the city in the evenings as frequently as they did in the past, before Covid came and the streets began to feel a little less safe. Before once-mighty shopping areas were not so scarred by vacant buildings, and before the idea of getting home from the city at night did not feel like such a tall order.

Equally, Mr Grieve said that it is important to acknowledge that Glasgow is not taking this all lying down. That there are people of influence in the private and public sectors who are working hard to right the ship, and keen to work together to achieve that end.

“My perspective is that it has all got to be about positive actions going forward,” Mr Grieve told The Herald. “Sure, you need to be aware of the things that are wrong. But the focus has to be on the things that we can put right and what initiatives we are going to bring to bear that are actually going to help.

“I have an overarching positivity about that, but it is starting from a low point in a lot of ways. Obviously, there are issues in the city centre which have held it back over recent years. [But] I’m very encouraged that a lot of people that are involved in the City Centre Taskforce are very focused on what they can do to rejuvenate the city centre. I think there is a lot of positive energy around which, by and large, I don’t think has been heavily reported.”

It should be acknowledged that there is work going on to improve the public realm around the city, notably in Sauchiehall Street, which will come at no small cost to the city. You would be hard-pushed to find many Glaswegians who would disagree with the objective of the Avenues street landscaping project, which was recently extended to other parts of the town. However, the project has clearly brought a lot of disruption in the short term, with the closure of large parts of Sauchiehall Street, for example, making it difficult for shoppers to navigate the thoroughfare and for businesses to trade freely.

To be fair to the council, it has belatedly made money available through a new £400,000 improvement fund to better the look and the feel of the city, and to find uses for vacant property, as part of plans to attract new businesses and visitors. However, there can be no doubt that the protracted nature of the works has left a bad feeling among many citizens.

Mr Grieve is realistic enough to understand these frustrations, and to acknowledge that as part of a shift to a more positive mindset about the city, people are going to have to take a longer-term view.

That may be easier said than done, but for those of a sunnier disposition, there are genuine reasons to be optimistic about the long-term future, at least when one considers the many investments planned for the city. These include revised proposals by Land Securities to rejuvenate Buchanan Galleries by introducing a higher level of retail and leisure offer (replacing its previous, less popular plan to knock the centre down and build a new mixed-use destination), the rejuvenation of George Square, and the redevelopment of St Enoch Centre, alongside many other capital investment works.

Projects such as these should engender a sense of renewal for people who live, work and socialise in Glasgow when work gets under way, and instil hope that brighter times lie ahead.

They lend no small amount of credence to the stance of Mr Grieve, who should be applauded for his determination to communicate a more positive view of the city.

But it is also important to put the building blocks in place. And for the night-time economy that surely means investing in resources and street improvements to make the city feel safe, and radically increasing the amount of late-night rail services and the number of taxis on the road.

If problems like these can be surmounted, then perhaps more people in their thirties, forties, fifties, and sixties will consider a night in the town at the weekend, instead of staying at home with a nice meal and a film on Netflix that many currently prefer.

It is only by getting the very basics right that the vibrant nightlife Glasgow was previously famous for can be restored.