Case Study: Aberdeen Inspired

Regenerating upper floors - Aberdeen

Aberdeen Inspired won a prestigious UK award for leading a ground breaking project to breathe new life into the upper floors of Union Street. The city’s Business Improvement District picked up the title of Best Business Support Scheme 2025 from the Association of Town and City Management UK and Ireland for their Upper Floors Project.

The visionary scheme is being driven by Aberdeen Inspired with support from Aberdeen City Council (ACC) and the wider stakeholders and city centre business community. They've assembled an expert task force to help bring the upper floors of Union Street back to vibrant life and create a “living and liveable neighbourhood community” in the heart of the Granite City. The team brings together council specialists in planning and building standards with architects, developers and commercial letting agents to find new and innovative uses for unused or unused premises above the ground floor level of the Granite Mile.

Extract from Aberdeen Inspired 2026 website

Key Learning

  • Vacant Shop Academy: Vacant Buildings Technical Panel Reviews (Trailblazing)
  • Bottom up place partnership approach
  • Working together in a collaborative shared vision
  • Testing ideas and outcomes with owners / stakeholder / tackling the tough stuff
  • Encouraging people to live in the town centre
  • Breathing new life into vacant upper floors
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