Dundee will benefit from more than £600,000 of funding in a bid to breathe new life into the city centre.
The money – £630,000 of which will go to Dundee – is coming from the Scottish Cities Alliance.
The Scottish Cities Alliance has worked with the Scottish Government on the proposals for the past year.
It comes after the Scottish Government pledged £6 million for improvements across all of Scotland’s cities.
Dundee City Council leader John Alexander is also chairman of the Scottish Cities Alliance.
He said all city centres have suffered in recent years, adding the Covid-19 pandemic has sped up the rate of decline across Scotland.
Dundee has ‘suffered’ over the years
Mr Alexander said: “Dundee City Centre, like all city centres, has suffered over the years as a result of changing shopping habits with the move to online shopping and the collapse of several high street names.
“For let signs, sad looking shop fronts and a lack of diversity in our city centres are all set to be addressed.”
He said it was important to bring people back to live in the city centre.
The council leader also wants to create events that support local businesses and draw people to Dundee.
He added the city centre needs to be about more than its retail offering, while that will remain important.
Mr Alexander added: “To thrive, they will need more people living, working and visiting, during the daytime and evening.
“It’s the first step on a much longer journey to reinvigorate and recover.”
A ‘new chapter’ in city centre development
He adds: “The role and nature of our city centre has been changing for some time, but Covid-19 has accelerated the pace of that change.
“Resilience, flexibility and ambition will be necessary as we recover from the pandemic.
“We look forward to a new chapter in the city centre’s development.
“An ambitious rethink of Dundee’s city centre is underway, as well as a strategic investment plan to underpin it.”
The city centre recovery task force’s report makes recommendations on seven key areas.
It says there should be increased residential capacity and occupancy in city centres.
The report also wants to see a reduction city centre carbon footprint and fewer vacant or derelict properties.
It also suggests an increase in city centre creative, entrepreneurial and start-up activity, plus more fundraising opportunities for local authorities.
The other recommendations are a reduction in oversupply of retail and faster planning decisions.
