It is the only time I can ever remember it being so hot in Glasgow that we had to move a barbecue inside! This was almost ten years ago to the day, celebrating the successful completion of the Commonwealth Games Athletes’ Village and of course the Commonwealth Games themselves. Having provided communication support to City Legacy, the consortium of CCG, Cruden Group, Mactaggart & Mickel and Malcolm Group who built the Athletes’ Village since 2009, this was a huge landmark moment, only enhanced by the incredibly and unusually hot sunny weather.

Perceptive Communicators helped City Legacy navigate many challenges of this iconic development at Clyde Gateway, Scotland’s largest and most successful regeneration project spanning Bridgeton, Dalmarnock and Rutherglen. Our communications support for City Legacy included preparing for and managing reputational risks, as well as communicating effectively with the local community and key stakeholders across a wide political spectrum.

We also helped to write 25 successful award entries about the development (a record for any development that still stands!) and implemented successful PR, social media and digital marketing, helping developers sell all the homes two years ahead of schedule. But most importantly, working with City Legacy and Clyde Gateway over several years, we helped recalibrate perceptions of the area as an attractive place to live, work and play.

Ten years on, the legacy of the Athletes’ Village and the Games extends far beyond the event itself. The Athletes’ Village, once derelict and formerly industrial land, then high rise and some tenements, has become a vibrant and attractive residential area. As well as the Village, Clyde Gateway now has 4,000 new homes spanning various tenures, such as mid-level rent, social rent, and private purchase. This diversity in housing options has been crucial in fostering a mixed and inclusive community, providing homes for a broad spectrum of residents, from young professionals to families and retirees.

The housing legacy is not just about providing shelter; it represents a broader vision of community building. Including a variety of housing options and integrating green spaces, such as the new parkland at Cuningar Loop, Clyde Gateway has created a holistic living environment that enhances residents’ quality of life. The transformation of over 100 acres of greenspace, comparable to the size of 50 football pitches, into recreational areas underscores Clyde Gateway’s commitment to fostering a healthy, active community.

The importance of housing as a cornerstone of urban regeneration cannot be overstated. This transformation has not only provided much-needed housing, but has also helped to reinvigorate the local area, attracting businesses and creating jobs. For instance, the development of Rutherglen Links Business Park and the arrival of companies like TopGolf, which created around 300 jobs, demonstrate the mutually beneficial relationship between housing and economic growth

We have been fortunate to continue working alongside Cruden Group and Clyde Gateway since the completion of the Athletes’ Village. Clyde Gateway’s regeneration approach is an exemplar of what is possible by taking a holistic and proactive approach with people consistently at the forefront. The whole area is being totally transformed, breathing life once again into this vibrant part of our city. In often difficult economic times and with many odds stacked against them, Clyde Gateway has successfully and consistently attracted significant levels of inward investment, creating 8000 jobs in the process and increasing the local population from 19,000 to 28,000, who all need high quality homes.

As a Glaswegian, I’m very proud of our small but significant role at the Athletes’ Village and subsequently with Clyde Gateway in transforming this key part of our city and our heritage. The legacy of the Commonwealth Games is not merely a collection of new homes and sports facilities; it is a living, evolving community and destination that has huge economic, environmental, social and health benefits, even when it is too warm outside for a barbecue!

• Julie Moulsdale is managing director of built environment communication expert Perceptive Communicators