On the edge of the River Clyde lies a piece of forgotten industrial history: the Govan Graving Docks. Once central to Scotland’s thriving shipbuilding industry, these docks are now at a critical point in their maritime legacy. A significant planning decision looms, which could either spark a community-led revitalisation or see the area fall victim to gentrification. The site, like Schrödinger's Cat, teeters between life and death, awaiting its fate in the hands of urban planners, developers, and local communities.

For years, the docks, constructed between 1869 and 1897, played a vital role in servicing and repairing ships. But as Glasgow’s shipbuilding industry declined, so did the docks. They have since fallen into disrepair, fenced off and largely forgotten. Despite their deterioration, the docks remain a symbol of the area’s rich maritime heritage - and an increasingly contested site for urban development.

Today, Govan’s local communities are fighting for a voice in the docks’ future. As Glasgow’s waterfront undergoes regeneration, the stakes are high. The area, just 2.5 miles from the city centre, represents prime real estate, but it is also located in one of the city’s most socio-economically disadvantaged areas. Residents face the real risk of being pushed out by luxury developments, their voices drowned out by powerful developers and political interests.

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The Govan Graving Docks have languished for decades, but the site is now the focus of competing visions. On one side, the community and local activists argue for a sustainable, heritage-led redevelopment. They see the docks as a public asset that could serve as a mixed-use site, incorporating cultural, environmental, and community spaces. On the other side, developers like New City Vision see a more profitable future, one that includes luxury housing and commercial developments.

The locals know the value of the docks, not just as a piece of history, but as a potential driver of economic and social regeneration. Govan is home to a high proportion of social housing and transient populations. For years, it has been a socio-economically marginalised area, but the docks represent an opportunity to change that.

The Community Empowerment Act, passed in Scotland in 2015, theoretically gives communities more power to shape the future of their local areas. Under the Act, communities can compete for ownership of land and buildings, offering a counterweight to institutional and state authority. But in practice, community voices are still often sidelined in the urban planning process.

Govan’s struggle isn’t unique. Around the world, communities have successfully reclaimed derelict industrial sites, transforming them into vibrant public spaces that serve local needs.

In the 1980s, the Docklands Community Poster Project in London empowered residents to fight for affordable housing along the Thames. Their campaign led to significant wins, including housing for rent in Southwark and the preservation of the Mudchute City Farm.

In Oakland, California, a community-driven effort led to the creation of Union Point waterfront park on an industrial estate.

The future of the Govan Graving Docks is up for grabsThe future of the Govan Graving Docks is up for grabs (Image: Gordon Terris)

In Poland, artists and activists were instrumental in saving parts of the historic Gdansk shipyard from demolition. Their efforts helped secure heritage protection for the site, and it is now being considered for UNESCO World Heritage status.

These examples show what’s possible when communities are empowered to take control of their environments.

One of the most pressing concerns for Govan residents is the risk of gentrification. The developer’s plan that would see 80% of the site transferred to a community body, with the remaining 20% used for luxury housing. This sounds like a compromise on paper, but many locals fear the luxury housing will be unaffordable for the very people who should benefit from the regeneration.

The Govan docks are not just an industrial relic - they are in an area where housing needs are acute, and any development must take that into account. Without careful planning, the introduction of luxury housing could displace low-income residents, further entrenching inequality in a neighbourhood that has already been left behind.

The high cost of developing and maintaining the docks, combined with the area’s economic precarity, means that any plans must be financially sustainable. But it’s not just about the money; it’s about ensuring that the community retains control over the development and that their needs are prioritised.

For Govan’s residents, one way to ensure their vision for the docks is realised is to secure the site’s protected heritage status. If the docks are designated a heritage asset, it would make it much harder for developers to demolish or radically alter the site. This would preserve the docks for future generations, while also offering a pathway to sustainable development that benefits the local community.

The return of the TS Queen Mary, a historic ship currently being restored, could also play a key role in the docks’ revival. There are plans to bring the ship back into active service, and the Graving Docks are one potential location for its restoration. This would not only breathe new life into the docks but also attract tourism and investment to the area.

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Community leadership needs to be strengthened, coalitions built, and a clear strategy for sustainable development expressed. The docks’ future cannot be left to developers alone—if it is to serve the community, then the community must lead the charge.

The situation is a Schrödinger’s Cat scenario. Until a final decision is made, the docks exist in two states: one where they are revitalised as a community and heritage asset, and another where they are transformed into yet another luxury development, pricing out residents and erasing a vital piece of Scotland’s industrial history.

The docks’ future depends on the decisions made in the coming months. Will the planners open the box and let the community in? Or will they leave Govan’s residents shut out, watching from behind the fences as their past - and future - slips away?

What’s clear is that the old models of top-down urban planning will not work here. To create a future that benefits all, the community must be at the heart of the decision-making process.

Professor Katarzyna Kosmala, PhD – Chair in Culture, Media and Visual Arts at the School of Business and Creative Industries University of the West of Scotland, a curator, and art writer. Previously, a visiting research fellow at GEXcel, Institute of Thematic Gender Studies, Linköping University & Örebro University, Sweden, and visiting professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She researches heritage and identity, cultural labour and discourses of creativity and community in the context of a globalizing network society, heritage and participation, art production and enterprise, as well as gender and politics of representation.