Glasgow is home to Europe’s first ‘smart canal’. This innovative scheme combines the historic 250-year-old Forth & Clyde Canal with modern technology to manage flood risk and support major urban regeneration.

The £17 million project, led by Glasgow City Council, Scottish Canals, and Scottish Water under the Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Scheme, aims to revitalise 110 hectares in North Glasgow. It will create space for over 3,000 new homes.

The North Glasgow Integrated Water Management System, as the project is officially named, will utilise sensors and predictive weather technology to provide early warnings of heavy rainfall. This will enable the canal to lower its water levels by up to 10cm, creating 55,000 cubic metres of additional capacity for floodwater—equivalent to 22 Olympic swimming pools.

The system will manage surface water runoff by directing excess rainwater into the canal and through newly designed urban spaces, including sustainable drainage ponds and granite channels. This approach will allow North Glasgow to absorb, clean, and use rainfall more effectively, turning the area into a ‘sponge city’.

Funding for the project comes from the Glasgow City Region City Deal, the Green Infrastructure Fund, and Scotland’s 8th City – the Smart City initiative.